LIBRARY 

of 

RVJNE 


A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 


A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 


By   Henrietta  G.   Rowe 

Author  of  "  Re-told  Tales  of  the  Hills  and  Shores 
of  Maine,"  etc. 


Illustrated  from  Drawings  by 

Ellen  Wetherald  Ahrens 


Boston 
Little,   Brown,  and  Company 

1902 


PS 

3735 

m 

M3 


Copyright,   1 902, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved 


Published  June,   1902 


UNIVERSITY     PRESS     •    JOHN    WILSON 
AND      SON      •      CAMBRIDGE,     U.   S.   A. 


Contents 


CHAPTBR  PACK 

I.  Born  to  Solomon  Hadlock  — i 

II.  —  A  Daughter       9 

III.  A  Declaration  of  Independence      ....  16 

IV.  Dame  Hedvig 26 

V.  The  Widder  Scripture's  Summer  Boarder     .  38 

VI.  A  Neighborly  Body 47 

VII.  "  A  Daniel  Come  to  Judgment "    .     .     .     .  60 

VIII.  "  Lots  which  I,  a  Boy,  Cast  in  the  Helm  of 

Fate" 70 

IX.  "  Alack,  I  Have  No  Eyes  " 79 

X.  "  Though  Blind,  My  Heart  Can  See  "      .     .  88 

XI.  "Dead?     Who  is  Dead?" 96 

XII.  "  I  Smell  a  Rat  Close  By  " 103 

XIII.  "Nay,  Tell  It  All" no 

XIV.  "  O  Time  and  Change  " 118 

XV.  The  Thin  Edge  of  the  Wedge 128 

XVI.  "  Blazing  "  the  Way  for  Fashion     ....  136 

XVII.  "A  Sunshiny  World  Full  of  Laughter  and 

Leisure" 149 

XVIII.  "There  is  No  Wind  but  Soweth  Seeds "       .161 

XIX.  "  A  Sealed  Palace,  Rich  and  Dim  "    .     .     .  1 70 

XX.  "  I  Like  Strong   Men  and    Large ;    I  Like 

Gray  Heads" 180 

XXI.  "  Of  Gentle  Blood  and  Manners "      .     .     .  191 

XXII.  "  Thou  Poor  Blind  Spinner  :  Work  Is  Done  "  201 


vi  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIII.  "  Money  Is  a  Good  Soldier,  Sir,  and  Will 

On" 213 

XXIV.  "  A  Little  More  Than  Kin,  and  Less  Than 

Kind" 223 

XXV.     "  I  Ve    Been    to     London    to    See    the 

Queen" 234 

XXVI.     "  He  That  Is  Greedy  of  Gain  Troubleth 

His  Own  House  " 245 

XXVII.     "That  Old  House  of  Yours  That   Gave 

Such  Welcomes  Oft  to  Me  "...     254 
XXVIII.     "I  Tell   You  Love  Has    Naught   to  Do 

with  Meetness  or  Unmeetness "   .     .     264 
XXIX.     "With  Marshal  Carouzer  and  Old  Lady 

Mouzer " 275 

XXX.     "  Oh  !  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal,  Fitted 

to  Thy  Petty  Part  " 286 

XXXI.  "  Comforting  Voice, 

I  Pray  You  Be  My  Wife's  Voice  "  .     .     .     298 
XXXII.     "We   Are    Now    in   the    Height   of  the 

Season" 308 

XXXIII.  "  Flow  Softly  Rhymes,—  His  Hand  Is  On 

the  Door" 318 

XXXIV.  "  With  Jeweled  Gauds  and  Toys  of  Ivory  "     328 
XXXV.     "  Rich  and    Rare    Were    the  Gems   She 

Wore" 338 

XXXVI.     "  Pitfalls  in  the  Path  They  Daily  Tread  "  348 
XXXVII.     "  'T  is  We  Two,  T  is  We  Two,  T  is  We 

Two  for  Aye  " 357 


Illustrations 

"  He  must  carry  this  pleasant  news  to  Comfort, 

making  glad  the  faithful  heart "  ...  Frontispiece 

"The  knowledge  that  she  would  have  to  pass 
through  that  solitary  road  haunted  her  con 
tinually"  Page  21 

" Both  girls  watched,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe "         "    157 

" '  Time  has  dealt  more  kindly  with  you  than 

with  us,'  he  said " "  267 

"  She  felt  the  electric  thrill  of  the  soft  palm  that 

rested  upon  her  forehead " "  293 


A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 


CHAPTER   I 

BORN  TO   SOLOMON   HADLOCK  — 

IN  the  early  years  of  the  last  century  the  Maine 
farmer,  in  his  hard  struggle  with  the  rocky  soil 
and  ungenial  climate,  found  every  power  of  mind 
and  body  taxed  to  its  utmost  to  keep  that  soul  and 
body  together.  Let  his  natural  inclinations  and  tastes 
be  what  they  might,  he  had  no  leisure  either  for  the 
adornment  of  his  home  or  the  cultivation  of  those  little 
refinements  and  courtesies  that  go  so  far  to  smooth 
the  rugged  front  of  toil,  and  make  the  husbandman's 
life  what  God  meant  it  to  be,  the  nearest  akin  to  Eden 
of  any  calling  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

It  was  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception  that  a 
small,  very  small,  house,  rudely  finished  to  begin 
with,  and  never  subject  to  repairs  so  long  as  it  would 
hold  together,  was  considered  good  enough  for  the 
family,  forming  a  strange  contrast  to  the  big  barns, 
constructed  with  an  eye  to  convenience  as  well  as 
room,  and  actually  making  a  warmer  shelter  for  his 
stock  than  the  rickety  farmhouse  did  for  his  house 
hold. 


2  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

The  sarcastic  comment  of  Augustus,  when  granting 
the  prayer  of  Herod  the  Great  to  put  his  own  son  to 
death,  that  "  it  was  better  to  be  Herod's  sow  than  his 
son,"  might,  with  almost  as  much  truth,  so  far  as 
creature  comforts  were  concerned,  have  been  applied 
to  many  a  well  meaning  but  hard-headed  Yankee 
farmer  half  a  century  ago. 

Shade  trees,  flowers,  vines,  and  all  the  thousand 
and  one  pretty,  inexpensive  household  adornments 
that  now  seem  almost  the  necessities  of  life,  were 
sternly  tabooed  as  useless  and  extravagant  out 
growths  of  a  silly  and  misplaced  pride,  that  deserved 
rebuke  rather  than  encouragement.  If  the  great 
square  front  yard  contained  a  lilac  and  cinnamon 
rose-bush,  no  matter  how  straggling  and  untrimmed 
the  poor  things  were,  that  was  the  utmost  concession 
that  the  hard-worked  owner  could  be  expected  to  pay 
to  the  graces;  and  the  rest  of  the  space  was  suffered 
to  grow  up  to  rank  weeds  and  grasses  that  it  was  too 
much  trouble  to  keep  down,  while  even  the  poor  little 
flower  beds  on  either  side  the  front  door,  that  the 
goodwife  and  her  girls  sometimes  insisted  upon, 
shared  in  the  general  neglect.  Only  the  other  side 
of  the  low,  log  fence  great  fields  of  yellow  grain  nod 
ded  and  dipped  with  every  passing  breeze,  as  if  in 
airy  salute  to  their  pretty,  useless  partners,  the  wild 
pinks  ;  or  tall  rows  of  Indian  corn  flaunted  their  green 
banners  and  tasselled  crests  in  proud  consciousness 
of  their  importance  and  dignity  in  an  atmosphere 
where  utility  was  held  the  only  beauty.  Carefully 
cultivated,  with  every  intrusive  weed  ruthlessly 
weeded  out,  no  wonder  they  looked  down  upon  the 


Born  to  Solomon  Hadlock  —  3 

poor  dwarfed  bluebells  and  gilliflowers  hidden  be 
neath  the  shadow  of  the  riotous  pigweed,  or  thrown 
completely  into  the  shade  by  the  vivid  yellows  of  the 
native  buttercup  and  mustard. 

Life  was  hard  at  its  best,  and  the  constant  hand-to- 
hand  struggle  of  man  with  ungenial  nature,  while  it 
seamed  his  face  and  bowed  his  shoulders  with  pre 
mature  age,  ofttimes  blinded  his  eyes  to  the  more 
spiritual  meanings  of  life,  and  bred  in  his  soul  that 
most  dwarfing  and  specious  of  all  social  heresies, 
that  "  man  is  to  live  by  bread  alone." 

Then,  too,  the  common  inventions  that  now  rob 
the  farmer's  life  of  its  heaviest  drudgery  had  never 
been  so  much  as  dreamed  of,  either  indoors  or  out. 
Sowing,  planting,  and  reaping  were  all  done  by  slow 
and  laborious  hand-work,  and  when  the  threshing- 
machine  was  brought  into  use,  displacing  the  time- 
honored  flail  of  our  fathers,  it  was  regarded  by  many 
with  wondering  disapproval,  —  some  even  going  so 
far  as  to  pronounce  it  "  an  encouragement  to  lazi 
ness." 

To  ease  the  burden  of  toil  in  any  way  in  those 
days  was  to  risk  the  imputation  of  being  a  "  shirk," 
and  when  Squire  Hadlock,  with  a  dim  prophecy  in 
his  mind  perhaps  of  the  coming  "  cultivator,"  instead 
of  tramping  beside  the  harrow  with  which  he  was 
smoothing  his  fields  preparatory  to  sowing,  contrived 
a  seat  for  himself  upon  it,  thus  saving  his  own  legs 
and  accomplishing  his  work  quite  as  speedily  and 
well,  the  whole  town  held  up  its  hands  as  one  man, 
and  laughed  loud  and  long  at  such  a  ridiculous  inno 
vation  upon  established  custom. 


4  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  Next  thing  he  '11  be  contrivin'  some  way  ter  mow 
settin'  still,  —  will  be  gettin'  him  a  chariot  with 
scythes,  most  likely." 

And  all  the  gossips,  men  and  women,  cackled  and 
sniffed,  and  turned  up  their  sage  noses  (behind  the 
Squire's  back,  you  may  be  sure),  some  even  hinting 
that  the  farmer  was  getting  lazy  with  advancing  years. 
Possibly,  although  the  broad,  well-cultivated  acres, 
the  big  barns,  and  comfortable  homestead  gave  no 
signs  of  decreasing  vigor  on  the  part  of  their  owner, 
who,  as  he  sits  alone  before  the  wide,  old-fashioned 
kitchen  fireplace  on  a  certain  sharp  evening  in  No 
vember,  his  stockinged  feet  outstretched  to  the  fire, 
and  his  brown,  sinewy  hands  idly  caressing  the  arms 
of  the  wooden  rocker  beneath,  as  if  there  might  be 
some  mysterious  kinship  between  the  sturdy,  unyield 
ing  oaken  fibre  and  the  still  harder  grained  and  more 
unyielding  make-up,  mental  and  moral,  of  the  man 
himself,  makes  a  picture  at  once  interesting  and 
repellant. 

As  a  direct  descendant  of  one  of  the  earliest  set 
tlers  upon  the  Desert  Island,  he  had  always  been  ac 
corded  a  certain  right  of  leadership  among  his  simple- 
minded  neighbors  that  had,  no  doubt,  helped  to 
foster  his  naturally  arrogant  and  opinionated  temper. 
Hard-handed  and  hard-headed,  he  loved  work  for  its 
own  sake  almost  as  much  as  for  the  gains  it  brought 
him,  and  he  had  little  patience  with,  or  pity  for, 
weakness  either  of  mind  or  body.  If  he  ever  noticed 
that  his  wife,  a  gentle,  uncomplaining  woman,  grew 
paler  and  sadder  as  the  years  went  by,  it  only  awoke 
in  him  a  feeling  of  half-irritable  wonder  that  any 


Born  to  Solomon  Hadlock —  5 

woman  so  well  housed  and  fed,  with  only  the  work 
of  her  household  to  attend  to,  should  peak  and  pine 
into  such  a  faded  middle  age. 

That  he  was  a  proud  man  nobody  could  doubt  who 
noted  the  supercilious  lines  about  his  mouth,  and  the 
dignified  carriage  of  his  head,  —  unconscious  both, 
and  as  truly  a  part  of  the  man  as  the  thick,  iron-gray 
locks,  and  dark,  cold  blue  of  the  eyes  that  never  by 
any  chance  softened  into  tenderness,  whatever  the 
mood  of  their  owner  might  be. 

His  newspaper  had  fallen  idly  upon  his  knees,  and 
a  smile  of  complacency  softened  the  stern  outlines  of 
his  face  as  he  watched  the  slow-dropping  embers, 
reading  perhaps  in  their  mysterious  depths  a  leaf 
from  that  future  that  was  already  mapped  out  so 
clearly  in  his  own  brain. 

"  Four  strong,  stout,  healthy  boys  !  And  every  one 
after  the  same  pattern, —  no  pindlin',  peakin',  half- 
breeds,  but  Hadlocks  to  the  backbone.  There's 
Jotham,  only  fourteen,  but  doin'  a  man's  work  every 
day  of  his  life;  and  David  and  Isaac,  they  both  take 
to  their  books  fairly  well,  so  I  guess  I  '11  have  to  send 
them  to  college, —  make  a  lawyer  and  a  doctor  out 
of  them,  maybe.  This  one  can  share  the  farm  with 
Jotham,  (I've  got  enough  f  r  both),  or,  if  he  takes  to 
a  sea-faring  life,  I  '11  fit  him  out  with  as  fine  a  schooner 
of  his  own  as  any  man  could  ask  for." 

Not  an  "if"  in  the  whole  calculation.  Of  course 
nothing  could  interfere  with  his  plans  in  regard  to 
his  own  children,  even  their  sex  being  a  pre-arranged 
matter,  and  that  the  new  comer  whose  advent  was 
just  now  expected,  and  whose  destiny  was  already 


6  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

being  so  coolly  mapped  out,  should  venture  to  dis 
appoint  him  in  that  particular,  never  entered  his 
mind. 

There  were  sounds  of  hurried  steps  and  suppressed 
voices  in  the  adjoining  room,  and  then  a  feeble,  im 
perative  cry,  that  first  piteous  appeal  of  helpless 
infancy  to  the  parental  instinct  that  even  the  most 
brutalized  seldom  hear  without  a  thrill  of  tender  pity, 
and  a  little  later,  a  neighbor,  a  brisk,  kindly  faced 
woman,  came  into  the  kitchen,  and,  without  heeding 
his  inquiring  look,  set  herself  to  work  to  prepare  the 
midnight  lunch  that  country  hospitality  would,  on  no 
account,  have  omitted. 

Now  good  Mrs.  Higgins  was  not  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  the  Squire,  and  so  long  as  she  volunteered  no 
information  in  regard  to  the  new  baby,  no  power  on 
earth  would  have  forced  the  proudly  obstinate  man 
to  volunteer  either  question  or  comment.  Of  course 
all  was  as  it  should  be,  or  she  would  not  have  worn 
that  provokingly  satisfied  look ;  and  with  a  kind  of 
undefined  self-gratulation  he  watched  from  beneath 
his  half-shut  eyelids  as  she  brought  out  the  best  goose 
berry  preserves,  and  a  plate  of  delicate  pound  cake 
made  expressly  to  give  eclat  to  the  occasion.  The 
tea  steamed  hospitably  upon  the  hearth,  and  the 
pitcher  of  rich,  yellow  cream  waited  for  it  upon 
the  table,  —  a  harmless  substitute  for  the  oldtime 
"caudle"  with  which  our  English  forbears  were  wont 
to  celebrate  the  addition  of  another  twig  to  the 
ancestral  tree. 

There  was  nothing  to  find  fault  with  there,  and  once 
more  his  mind  reverted  to  that  little  morsel  of  help- 


Born  to  Solomon  Hadlock-  7 

less  humanity  that  had  come  into  this  world,  destitute 
of  even  a  name,  and  following  a  custom,  handed  down 
perhaps  from  some  old,  half-heathen  ancestor  who, 
in  his  divinations  had  simply  substituted  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures  for  the  Roman,  he  drew  the  little  stand 
that  held  the  family  Bible  closer  to  his  side,  and,  tak 
ing  advantage  of  Mrs.  Higgins'  temporary  absence, 
opened  the  book  at  random,  and  with  averted  eyes, 
placed  his  unguided  finger  upon  the  verse  that  was  to 
guide  him  in  the  choice  of  a  name  for  the  new-comer. 
The  candle  upon  the  tall  wooden  mantel  shone  down 
clearly  upon  the  sacred  page,  and  lighted  up  with 
startling  distinctness  the  words  that  stared  him  in  the 
face  like  a  premeditated  insult :  "  And  she  bare  a 
daughter,  and  called  her  name  Dinah." 

Frowning,  he  replaced  the  book  upon  the  stand  with 
an  irreverent  thump  that  set  the  china  upon  the  table 
all  agig,  and  provoked  a  gentle  titillation  between  the 
creamer  and  the  hot-water  pot,  as  if  the  two  were  rub 
bing  noses  together  in  glee  over  his  discomfiture. 

"  I  guess  I  '11  let  his  mother  pick  out  a  name  for  this 
one,"  he  muttered,  rather  ashamed,  if  the  truth  must 
be  told,  of  his  unreasonable  petulance,  and  propor 
tionally  softened  toward  the  meek  little  woman,  who 
had  never  in  all  the  years  since  she  had  crossed  his 
threshold  as  a  wife  dared  to  claim  a  right  that  he  saw 
fit  to  deny  her. 

"  Most  likely  she  '11  want  to  tack  a  William  Wallace 
or  a  Thaddeus  of  Warsaw  onto  him,  but  I  guess  the 
Hadlock  in  'im.'ll  hold  its  own;"  and  he  chuckled 
audibly  at  his  own  wit,  while  to  the  doctor,  who  at 
that  moment  entered  the  room,  he  seemed  to  be 


8  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

simply  giving  vent  to  the  parental  ecstasies  natural 
to  the  occasion. 

The  little  man  advanced  smilingly,  and  with  a  side 
glance  at  the  temptingly  spread  table,  took  his  station 
in  front  of  the  genial  fire,  and  drawing  aside  his  coat- 
tails  disposed  himself  to  catch  as  much  of  the  warmth 
as  possible  without  the  incivility  of  turning  his  back 
upon  his  host. 

"  Fine  child  !  "  he  purred  comfortably.  "  Tipped 
the  scales  at  eight  and  a  quarter." 

"Very  fair,  very  fair,"  conceded  the  Squire,  trying 
hard  not  to  show  his  exultation.  "  All  of  my  boys 
have  been  as  rugged  as  young  bear  cubs.  The  Had- 
locks  are  a  tough  race  and  a  long  lived.  My  grandsire 
was  nigh  on  to  a  hundred  when  he  died,  and  my 
father  was  in  the  nineties." 
"  Why,  how  you  talk !  " 

The  doctor  had  heard  this  same  story  of  the  lon 
gevity  of  the  Hadlocks  a  score  of  times  before,  and 
had  invariably  replied  with  the  same  idiomatic  for 
mula.  But  to-night  there  was  an  absent  tone  in  his 
voice,  and  he  fidgetted  uneasily  as  if  in  the  expecta 
tion  of  something  not  altogether  pleasant.  Perhaps 
he  was  thinking,  as  doctors  sometimes  do  think,  that 
it  was  strange  that  the  wives  of  those  sturdy  old  pat 
riarchs  should  have  died  comparatively  young,  and 
wondering  if  the  compression  of  a  soul  had  anything 
to  do  with  its  premature  escape  from  the  body. 


CHAPTER  II 

—  A   DAUGHTER 

"  A  HEM  !  "  the  doctor  gave  a  reassuring  flip  to  his 
-*^  coat-tails,  and  glanced  across  to  his  companion 
with  a  queer  mixture  of  humor  and  apprehension  in 
his  kindly  face. 

"  She  bids  fair  to  hold  her  own  with  the  boys,  I 
should  say." 

He  put  forth  this  remark  as  a  gentle  "  feeler,"  but 
the  Squire  was  too  comfortably  obtuse  to  comprehend 
his  meaning. 

"  Ye-es,  I  s'pose  she  '11  be  round  before  long.  She  's 
always  in  a  takin'  to  be  up  and  seein'  to  things  her 
self,  and  the  boys  do  need  'er  to  look  after  their  clo'es 
an'  vittles.  Hired  help  don't  never  keep  an  eye  on 
things  as  you  do  yerself." 

Selfish  old  brute !  The  doctor  was  getting  exas 
perated,  but  he  hastened  to  say  with  an  affectation  of 
surprise : 

"  Why,  you  don't  think  I  was  speaking  like  that 
of  your  wife,  I  hope.  I  referred  to  your  little  daugh 
ter  of  course ;  and  I  will  say  this  for  the  wee  lassie, 
that  she 's  the  prettiest  and  most  promising  baby  in 
the  lot." 

Poor  little  unfortunate !  to  need  a  champion  before 
her  baby  eyes  had  even  seen  the  light  of  day, —  her 
only  sin  her  sex,  but  one  that  would  never  be  forgiven 


io  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

or  overlooked  by  her  hard-tempered,  prejudiced  sire. 

"Do  you  dare  to  tell  me  that  the  new  baby  is  a 
girl?" 

His  face  was  crimson  with  angry  disappointment, 
and  he  glared  at  the  doctor  as  if  he  longed  to  annihi 
late  him  for  his  unwelcome  communication. 

"  To  be  sure,"  chirruped  the  little  man  sweetly, 
while  with  difficulty  he  concealed  the  satisfaction  with 
which  he  saw  his  arrogant  neighbor's  discomfiture. 

"  I  supposed  that  Mrs.  Higgins  had  already  told 
you,  for  with  three  boys  in  the  family  such  a  rarity  as 
a  girl  is  usually  worth  speaking  about." 

He  smiled  blandly,  but  the  Squire  could  no  longer 
control  his  angry  impatience. 

"  A  girl !  A  poor,  useless,  good-for-nothing  GIRL  ! 
And  that  too,  right  in  the  face  of  my  plannin'  for 
another  boy.  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  added  fiercely, 
forgetting  civility,  hospitality,  and  all  the  manly  cour 
tesies  upon  which  he  had  always  prided  himself,  "  by 
standin'  there  smirkin'  and  grinnin'  like  a  chessy  cat? 
You  've  had  the  last  dollar  out  of  my  pocket,  let  me 
tell  you.  I  wouldn  't  call  you  in  to  doctor  a  sick  cat." 

"  Very  well." 

The  doctor  was  angry  in  his  turn,  but  he  was  a 
gentleman  and  scorned  to  bandy  words  with  his  un 
reasonable  neighbor,  but  as  he  drew  on  and  buttoned 
his  overcoat,  he  said  with  stern  significance : 

"  It  is  well,  that  with  such  fathers  as  you  in  the 
world,  there  is  a  law  to  protect  the  lives,  at  least,  of 
helpless  childhood  and  womanhood.  God  knows," 
he  added  in  a  lower  tone,  as  he  turned  his  back  upon 
the  angry  man,  "  that  they  need  all  the  protection  that 


—  A  Daughter  1 1 

the  law  can  give  them  in  more  cases  than  the  world 
dreams  of." 

But  the  Squire  had  had  time  to  recover  somewhat 
from  the  first  shock  of  his  disappointment,  and,  thor 
oughly  ashamed  of  his  angry  outburst,  he  hastened  to 
apologize  and  urge  the  doctor  to  partake  of  the  lunch 
in  waiting  for  him,  before  starting  upon  his  cold, 
homeward  drive. 

"  I  did  n't  mean  to  hold  you  responsible,  doctor,  for 
my  disappointment,  knowin'  of  course,  that  you  ain't 
the  least  to  blame  for  it.  But  I  'd  lotted  so  on  them 
four  boys,  a  farmer,  a  doctor,  a  lawyer  an'  a  sea  cap'n. 
That 's  the  plan  I  'd  staked  out,  and  you  know  yerself 
how  thunderin'  mad  it  makes  a  man  to  have  his  plans 
stepped  on,  and  nobody  that  he  can  make  suffer 
for  it." 

"Somebody  will  suffer  for  it,"  thought  the  kindly 
man  with  a  sigh,  as  he  accepted  the  apology  so  far 
as  to  unbutton  his  coat  and  seat  himself  at  the  table, 
with  the  air  of  one  still  wavering  between  the  stern 
desire  to  show  his  just  resentment,  and  the  fragrant 
wooing  of  the  steaming  teacup  that  made  forgiveness 
seem,  just  then,  one  of  the  easiest  and  most  amiable 
of  the  virtues. 

He  was  very  fond,  this  little  country  doctor  of  ours, 
of  tracing  backward  the  peculiar  traits,  mental  and 
moral,  of  the  men  and  women  with  whom  his  profes 
sion  brought  him  into  such  close  contact,  and  that 
last  expression  of  the  irate  Squire  still  haunted  him 
with  a  queer,  uneasy  persistency. 

His  host's  profuse  civilities,  evidently  intended  to 
atone  for  his  former  rudeness,  and  the  mild,  matronly 


12  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

discourse  of  Mrs.  Higgins  fell  alike  upon  his  ears  as 
an  unmeaning  babble,  and  as  he  jogged  slowly  home 
ward  along  the  lonely  country  road,  the  cold  stars 
above,  and  beneath  the  frost-hardened  earth  upon 
which  his  horse's  hoofs  struck  with  a  dull  thud,  only 
relieved  now  and  then  by  the  sharp  crack  of  a  broken 
twig,  or  a  sudden  ring  and  flash  as  the  brute's  steel- 
shod  feet  struck  sharply  against  one  of  the  flinty 
fragments  with  which  the  road  was  strewn,  he  be 
guiled  the  way  with  recollections  of  bits  of  family 
history  that  he  had  gathered  from  time  to  time  from 
stories  told  by  the  Squire  himself,  or  by  some  of  the 
older  inhabitants  of  the  Island. 

He  could  not  be  sure,  but  it  was  somewhere  between 
1750  and  1751  that  the  first  Hadlock  came  to  this 
country, —  the  hard,  stern,  determined  man,  who, 
after  trying  in  vain  for  several  years  to  win  political 
power  in  the  Massachusetts  colony,  sternly  withdrew 
himself  to  the  thinly  settled  province  of  Maine,  estab 
lishing  a  home  for  his  family, —  the  daintily  bred 
English  wife  and  their  three  stout  boys  —  upon  the 
Island,  whose  fierce  cliffs  frowning  oceanward  had  a 
strange  attraction  for  the  man's  fearless,  defiant  na 
ture,  while  the  fertile  valleys  lying  inland  appealed 
quite  as  strongly  to  his  natural  thrift  and  sagacity. 

The  old  man  had  died  full  of  years  and  honors,  his 
sons  too  had  one  by  one  passed  away,  but  now  even 
down  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation  the  traits 
that  had  so  strongly  marked  their  common  ancestor 
had  never  failed  to  reappear  in  his  descendants. 
Brave,  energetic,  quick  to  take  advantage  of  any 
sudden  turn  in  fortune's  wheel,  and  unsparing  of 


—  A  Daughter  13 

themselves  or  others  so  long  as  any  material  good 
could  be  gained  by  the  struggle,  they  were  good 
citizens  and  neighbors,  with  singularly  rigid  ideas 
in  regard  to  their  rights,  both  political  and  religious, 
and  of  such  unquestioned  honesty  that  the  places  of 
trust  in  the  little  community  were  more  frequently 
filled  by  them  than  by  any  other  family  perhaps 
upon  the  whole  Island.  But  there  was  another  side 
to  the  Hadlock  character  that  few  comparatively 
knew  anything  about,  and  that  was  the  home  side. 

Curiously  enough,  the  Hadlocks  had  almost  invari 
ably  been  indebted  to  the  "  spindle  side "  of  the 
house  for  the  money  with  which  they  had  started  in 
life.  From  grandsire  Hugh  down  to  the  present 
Squire  it  was  the  wife's  dowry  that  had  been  the 
nest-egg  from  which  her  thrifty  spouse  had  contrived 
to  hatch  out  his  lucky  chickens,  a  state  of  things  that 
would  in  ordinary  cases  have  given  a  personally 
insignificant  woman  an  undisputed  position  as  the 
head  of  her  own  household  at  least,  if  no  more.  But 
the  Hadlocks  never,  to  a  man,  yielded  a  whit  of  their 
masculine  supremacy.  Nay,  more,  they  managed  by 
some  unexplained  power  to  so  impress  upon  their 
gentler  mates  their  own  natural  superiority  as  the 
original  lords  of  creation,  that  each  household  natur 
ally  became  a  republic,  free  only  in  name,  with  a 
Caesar  at  its  head,  whose  will  alone  controlled  and 
governed  everything  down  to  the  smallest  details. 

If  the  more  tender  and  sensitive  of  these  well- 
trained  wives  usually  faded  and  grew  sad  and  still 
before  her  time,  letting  go  her  hold  upon  life,  and 
dropping  off  as  softly  and  silently  as  the  spring 


14  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

flower  whose  work  is  done,  and  the  pale  petals  safely 
folded  in  mother  earth's  tender  bosom  before  the 
heat  and  rush  of  the  busy  midsummer  overtakes  it, 
people  only  wondered  that  "  such  good  providers 
and  forehanded  men  as  the  Hadlocks  should  have 
such  poor  luck  with  their  wives,"  —  a  question  that 
the  bereaved  husbands  themselves  were  wont  to 
puzzle  their  brains  over  in  hopeless  bewilderment. 

The  Squire  had  remarked  frankly  to  his  young 
wife,  on  her  complaining  of  a  headache  : 

"  Now,  Cinthy,  I  don't  want  you  to  think  I  'm 
ha'ash  or  unfeelin',  but  I  do  think  that  half  the  head 
aches  an'  backaches  that  folks  make  such  a  towse  over 
are  just  clear  imagination.  I  ain't  ever  had  an  ache 
yet  that  I  could  n't  work  off,  and  'twould  be  a  dread 
ful  disappointment  to  me  if  you  should  turn  out  one 
o'  the  pindlin',  complainin'  kind,  such  as  I  remember 
my  mother  was.  I  honestly  believe  she  might  'a' 
lived  to  a  good  old  age  if  she  'd  only  thought  so." 

And  from  that  day  Mrs.  Hadlock  never  complained 
of  either  headache  or  heartache  in  her  husband's 
presence.  If  her  once  rosy  cheek  grew  pale,  and 
her  form  thin  and  bent,  it  was  no  more  than  might 
be  expected ;  "  farmers'  wives  always  faded  young," 
and  with  this  passing  thought  her  husband  calmly 
dismissed  the  subject  from  his  mind.  He  held  up 
his  end  of  the  yoke,  why  should  n't  she  do  the  same? 

When  the  poor  woman  once  more  crept  out  of  her 
sick-room,  looking  so  frail  and  white  that  it  seemed 
as  if  any  passing  wind  might  blow  her  away,  there 
was  an  added  line  of  sorrow  about  the  patient  mouth, 
while  the  bent  shoulders  drooped  as  beneath  an 
added  burden. 


—  A  Daughter  1 5 

"No  wonder,"  her  husband  grumbled,  "that  with 
that  great  young  one  forever  in  her  arms  she  was 
such  a  long  while  getting  up  her  strength." 

But  it  was  not  the  care  of  the  rosy  smiling  baby, 
who  would  lie  for  hours  contentedly  sucking  her  wee 
thumb  between  the  succession  of  little  cat  naps  that 
occupied  the  greater  part  of  the  first  few  months  of 
her  innocent  life.  It  was  the  sad  certainty  that  this, 
the  most  precious  to  her  motherly  heart  of  all  her 
babies,  was  born  to  an  inheritance  so  cheerless  in  its 
spiritual  and  mental  repression,  so  colorless,  so  toil 
some,  that  it  wrung  her  heart  with  a  fear  that  not  all 
her  pride  and  satisfaction  in  the  child's  growth  and 
beauty  had  the  power  to  dissipate. 

"  What  had  we  better  call  her  ?  "  was  the  timid 
question  with  which  she  tried  to  propitiate  her  grim 
husband,  and  win  perhaps  some  fatherly  recognition 
for  the  little  stranger. 

The  Squire  removed  his  pipe  from  his  mouth,  and 
cast  a  look  of  cold  indifference  at  the  unconscious 
baby  crowing  in  his  wife's  lap.  "  Call  'er  anything 
you're  a  mind  to,  fr  all  o'  me.  'Disappointment' 
would  n't  be  a  bad  name  for  'er." 

The  mother  bent  her  face  until  her  cheek  touched 
the  little  silken  head  upon  her  bosom,  while  a  tear 
dropped  softly,  —  a  holy  chrism  —  upon  the  baby 
forehead. 

"  I  will  call  her  '  Comfort,'  "  she  said  gently. 

And  her  husband,  blind  alike  to  the  sad  signifi 
cance  of  tear  and  name,  and  seeing  no  reason  to 
interfere  with  his  wife's  choice,  allowed  her  for  once 
to  have  her  own  way,  unchecked  and  unhindered. 


CHAPTER   III 

A  DECLARATION   OF   INDEPENDENCE 

"  TT'S  ever  so  much  prettier  than  the  scarlet  beans 

•*•  or  the  hop-vine,"  and  the  child,  from  her  low 
seat  upon  the  threshold  of  the  back  door,  paused  for 
a  moment  from  her  chopping  to  look  up  lovingly  at 
the  graceful  clematis  framing  the  rough  doorway  in  a 
wreath  of  delicate,  fairy-like  blossoms. 

"  David  said  't  wa'  n't  nothin'  but  a  weed,  and  made 
fun  of  me  for  diggin'  it  up  and  settin'  it  out  here, 
and  Jotham  said  he  'd  tell  father  that  I  was  litterin' 
the  yard  up  with  wild  things.  But  now  it 's  grown 
so  big  and  pretty,  they  like  to  sit  in  the  shade  of  it 
as  well  as  anybody." 

She  laughed,  such  a  sweet,  wholesome,  gay  little 
laugh,  that  her  sad-faced  mother  looked  up  from  her 
bread  kneading  with  a  smile  of  tender  satisfaction 
that  faded  the  next  instant,  as  she  said,  appre 
hensively  : 

"  Yes,  't  is  pretty,  and  it  shades  the  door  nicely  for 
you  to  sit  there  when  you  're  choppin'  the  curd  or 
shellin'  peas.  But  I  'm  afraid,"  with  a  little  catch  in 
her  voice,  as  she  glanced  at  the  unsuspecting  little 
face,  bright  with  childhood's  unreasoning  gladness, 
"  that  your  father  won't  let  it  stay  there.  He  said 
only  the  other  day  that  it  was  the  worst  thing  to 
scatter  its  seeds  that  he  ever  saw,  and  he  would  n't 


A  Declaration  of  Independence        17 

have  weeds  coaxed  to  grow  in  his  yard,  when  there 
was  enough  that  he  could  n't  get  rid  of." 

"What?"  and  the  childish  face  flamed  up  angrily. 
"  Do  you  s'pose  that  he'd  pull  up  my  own  vine,  that 
I  got  in  the  woods,  and  planted  here  my  own  self  ? 
If  he  did,  'twould  be  meaner 'n  dirt,  and  —  " 

"  There  !  there  !     That  will  do." 

Mrs.  Hadlock  spoke  with  a  sternness  that  she  was 
far  from  feeling.  For  years  unquestioning  submission 
and  obedience  had  been  the  rule  of  her  own  life,  and 
the  quick,  independent  temper  of  her  little  daughter 
kept  her  in  a  state  of  constant  dread  and  alarm. 
What  if,  with  growing  years,  she  should  be  incautious 
enough  to  oppose  her  will  in  some  matter  to  that  of 
her  hard-tempered  sire?  The  very  idea,  with  its  long 
train  of  terrible  consequences,  —  disinheritance  and 
possible  beggary  for  the  creature  she  loved  best  in 
all  the  world,  —  sent  such  a  chill  to  her  timid  heart 
that  for  a  moment  her  nerveless  hands  refused  their 
office,  and  the  unkneaded  dough  lay  in  a  shapeless 
mass  upon  the  board  as,  dropping  into  the  nearest 
chair,  she  whispered  pleadingly: 

"  Don't  talk  like  that,  child  !  You  '11  kill  me  if  you 
do." 

Comfort  looked  up,  to  see  the  slow  tears  stealing 
down  the  pale  cheeks,  and  catch  the  look  of  anxiety 
in  her  mother's  sad  eyes,  and  in  a  moment  more  she 
was  at  her  side,  her  rosy  arms  about  her  neck,  and 
her  sweet  face,  wet  with  childhood's  ready  tears, 
pressed  lovingly  to  hers. 

"  I  can't  help  thinking,  mother  dear,"  she  whis 
pered  softly,  with  a  quick  glance  over  her  shoulder  at 


1 8  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  approaching  form  of  Jotham,  who  was  sauntering 
down  the  meadow  road,  with  the  empty  beer-jug 
swinging  in  his  idle  hand.  "  But  I  won't  say  a  word, 
if  you  don't  want  me  to,  if  he  pulls  up  all  my  flowers, 
—  even  the  rose-bush  that  Granny  Hedvig  gave  me." 

Mrs.  Hadlock  smiled  through  her  tears,  while  with 
a  hurried  kiss  she  put  the  child  from  her. 

"  He  won't  trouble  the  rose-bush  so  long  as  it  is  n't 
in  his  way.  And  likely  as  not  he  won't  think  of  the 
vine  again,  —  if  nobody  reminds  him  of  it." 

The  little  maid  knew  only  too  well  what  that  last 
clause  meant,  for  from  her  babyhood  her  ruder 
brothers  had  taken  a  mischievous  delight  in  teasing 
and  thwarting  her  in  all  her  little  plans  and  pleasures. 
With  the  two  younger  lads  it  had  been  merely  a  boy's 
natural  enjoyment  in  teasing  something  that  was  too 
weak  to  pay  them  back  in  their  own  coin,  and  of 
whose  real  suffering  they  had  not  the  smallest  com 
prehension.  But  with  Jotham,  the  elder  and  by  far 
the  harder-natured  of  the  three,  there  was  an  in 
grained,  perhaps  half-unconscious,  antipathy  to  the 
bright,  merry  little  sister,  who  had  seemed  to  his 
selfish  soul  the  one  too  many  in  the  family  group, 
and  who  had  never  in  all  her  life  trembled  at  his 
frown  or  cried  at  his  harsh,  unbrotherly  taunts  and 
sneers.  "  Ma'am's  cosset,"  he  delighted  to  call  her, 
and  the  knowledge  that  this  species  of  sister-baiting 
was  a  sport  in  which  their  father  might  be  counted  on 
not  to  interfere  lent  an  added  zest  to  their  enjoyment 
of  it. 

She  was  only  a  girl,  with  all  a  girl's  silly,  babyish 
ways;  and  when  David  hung  all  her  cherished  rag 


A  Declaration  of  Independence        19 

dolls  in  a  ghastly  row  upon  the  smutty  kitchen  crane, 
and  Isaac  smashed  the  choice  bits  of  china  that  had 
served  for  her  mimic  housekeeping,  her  wrath  and 
grief  were  to  them  the  funniest  sight  imaginable. 
"  Spit-fire  "  and  "  pepper-pot  "  were  the  epithets 
familiarly  bestowed  upon  her,  while  their  mother's 
distressed  remonstrances  had  little  weight  in  the  face 
of  their  father's  unexpressed  but  no  less  evident  en 
joyment  of  their  unkindly  jests.  And  yet  Comfort 
was  a  loving  little  creature,  willing  to  put  herself  to 
any  trouble  and  inconvenience  to  help  others.  But 
unfortunately  that  independence  of  spirit  and  keen 
sense  of  justice  that  had  dwelt  in  great-grandfather 
Hugh  had  come  down  to  her  in  full  measure,  and 
her  hot  blood  boiled  at  the  injustice  of  punishing  her 
for  an  accidental  injury  to  Jotham's  sled,  while  the 
wanton  destruction  of  her  playthings  was  regarded  as 
merely  a  good  joke.  Why  was  this  difference  made? 
And  over  and  over  in  her  solitary  hours,  the  little 
maid  pondered  the  question  that  so  perplexed  her 
childish  brain. 

She  had  returned  to  her  tray  of  curd,  and  was 
chopping  diligently  to  make  up  for  lost  time,  when 
Jotham,  a  heavy,  dark-browed  youth,  came  up  to  the 
door,  and  throwing  himself  lazily  upon  the  step,  gave 
the  empty  jug  a  shove  into  the  open  doorway,  with 
the  peremptory: 

"  G'  long  and  fill  that  jug,  and  see  you  're  spry 
about  it,  too.  I  can't  wait  all  day." 

Comfort  paid  no  attention  but  went  on  with  her 
chopping. 

"  Ain't  you  goin'  ter  mind?  "  he  cried  threateningly. 


20  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  Not  unless  you  ask  me  decent." 

He  glared  at  her  half  in  anger,  half  in  bewilder 
ment,  at  such  unheard-of  audacity  on  her  part. 

"  You  '11  fill  that  jug,  or  I  '11  know  why,"  he  growled 
through  his  set  teeth. 

The  little  face  grew  white  as  the  curdled  mass 
beneath  her  hand,  but  she  never  flinched.  They 
were  brave  men  of  her  race,  who  had  faced  cold  and 
flood  and  hostile  bullets  for  what  they  deemed  their 
rights,  and  their  blood  was  in  her  veins. 

"  I  won't  stir  one  step,"  she  repeated  stoutly, 
"  till  you  ask  me  to  fill  the  jug,  —  then  I  '11  do  it,  and 
welcome." 

And  the  brave  little  head  with  its  crown  of  red- 
brown  curls  was  lifted  with  an  air  of  unconscious  dig 
nity,  and  the  clear  eyes  looked  at  him  unflinchingly 
as  she  added  with  a  touch  of  pathos  that  was  entirely 
wasted  upon  the  angry  boy: 

"  I  wish  you  'd  ask  me  to  do  things  for  you  as  you 
do  the  boys.  I  hate  to  be  spoken  to  just  as  if  I  was 
a  slave ;  and  I  'm  sure  I  'm  always  willing  to  wait  on 
you  if  you'll  only  ask  me  fair." 

The  clenched  hand  was  lifted,  when  something  —  a 
vague  instinct,  let  us  hope,  of  the  unmanliness  of  such 
a  blow —  made  the  boy  lower  it,  and  say  with  an  affec 
tation  of  indifference,  as  he  slowly  rose  to  his  feet : 

"  I  c'n  fill  it  myself.  But  let  me  tell  you,  miss," 
he  continued  threateningly,  "  I  '11  be  even  with  you 
f'r  this  ugly  streak, — and  you  won't  make  nothing 
out  of  it  either." 

As  he  disappeared  down  the  cellar  stairs,  Comfort 
watched  him  with  something  of  apprehension  as  well 


A  Declaration  of  Independence        21 

as  triumph  in  her  telltale  face.  To  be  sure,  she  had 
won  the  day,  but  she  well  knew  that  he  would  fulfil 
his  threat,  and  that  she  would  be  forced  to  pay 
heavily  for  her  momentary  victory,  and  instinctively 
she  braced  herself  to  meet  the  consequences  of  this 
her  first  protest  against  the  sexual  tyranny  that  she 
had  suffered  from  since  her  earliest  remembrance. 
He  could  n't  hurt  her  pet  kitten,  for  she  was  careful 
to  keep  the  pretty  creature  out  of  the  way  when  the 
boys  were  in  the  house ;  and  all  her  playthings,  since 
the  scene  of  the  improvised  gibbet,  had  been  safely 
stored  in  her  own  little  bedroom.  Perhaps  he  would 
take  the  time  when  she  was  going  through  that  piece 
of  woods  on  her  way  to  school  to  jump  out  at  her, 
and  perhaps  frighten  her  to  death,  and  this  thought 
was  to  her  the  most  frightful  of  any  that  her  imagina 
tion  could  conjure  up. 

A  greedy  listener  to  all  the  stories  of  wolves  and 
bears,  and  Indians,  —  tales  of  pioneer  life,  that  had 
not  had  time  to  grow  dim  and  colorless  with  age,  — 
that  strip  of  unreclaimed  woodland  through  which 
the  road  ran  for  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  was,  to  our 
simple  little  school  girl  a  veritable  "  valley  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death,"  peopled  with  "  satyrs  and  hob 
goblins,"  and  "  full  of  doleful  noises.  In  a  word, 
every  whit  dreadful."  And  although  Granny  Hed- 
vig's  cottage  stood  about  half  way,  and  from  there 
she  was  sure  of  Franz's  company  and  protection,  the 
knowledge  that  she  would  have  to  pass  through  that 
lonely,  solitary  road  every  day  on  her  way  to  school, 
haunted  her  continually,  even  robbing  her  of  her  sleep 
sometimes  when  in  the  darkness  her  imagination 


22  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

found  time  to  conjure  up  pictures  of  possible  perils 
and  dangers  lurking  behind  those  dark,  impenetrable 
pines,  or  creeping  close  to  the  narrow  footpath  under 
cover  of  the  dense  undergrowth,  and  snapping  at  her 
naked  feet  that  always  kept  so  warily  in  the  very 
middle  of  the  dusty  road,  afraid  to  risk  the  refreshing 
coolness  and  softness  of  the  grassy  sward  on  either 
side. 

With  a  sensitive  shrinking  from  ridicule,  the  child 
had  carefully  concealed  her  cowardly  fears  even  from 
her  mother,  and  only  Franz  Hedvig  knew  of  the  suf 
fering  that  she  underwent  during  her  solitary  walks 
to  and  from  school.  If  he  wondered  at  or  tried  to 
reason  her  out  of  her  groundless  terrors  he  never 
laughed  at  her  for  them,  and  many  a  morning  her 
timid  heart  had  leaped  for  joy  at  sight  of  his  ragged 
straw  hat  bobbing  in  and  out  among  the  blackberry 
bushes  that  clustered  thickly  at  the  entrance  of  the 
wood,  and  it  was  these  same  berries  that  always  served 
him  as  an  excuse  for  coming  so  far  out  to  meet  his 
little  friend. 

"  I  thought  some  plums  would  taste  good  for 
granny's  dinner,"  he  would  say  apologetically,  pre 
tending  not  to  notice  Comfort's  radiant  face. 

And  with  him  by  her  side  what  a  delightful,  peace 
ful  walk  that  haunted  wood  road  became.  The  bobo 
links  answered  back  to  his  blithe  whistle,  while  that 
fearsome  rustle  in  the  bushes  was  nothing  in  the  world 
but  a  jolly  red  squirrel  that,  perched  upon  a  stump, 
chattered  and  flourished  his  plumy  tail  as  if  he  had 
nothing  to  do  in  life  but  to  sit  in  the  sun  and  enjoy 
himself. 


A  Declaration  of  Independence        23 

Franz  knew  where  all  the  prettiest  wild  flowers 
grew,  and  it  was  no  fault  of  his  if  the  "  mistress " 
did  n't  have  a  big  nosegay  of  ferns  and  sweet  wild 
roses,  or  perhaps  some  paler  forest  beauty,  to  brighten 
her  desk  every  morning  all  through  the  long,  lusty 
northern  summer. 

Comfort  was  a  social  little  body,  and  never  lacked 
for  playmates  of  her  own  sex  and  age,  but  of  friends 
she  had  one,  and  one  only,  —  the  grandson  of  the  old 
Swedish  woman,  Dame  Hedvig,  who  lived  in  the  little 
log  cabin  in  the  woods,  and  supported  herself  and 
Franz  by  spinning  the  beautifully  fine  flax  thread 
that  was  in  such  demand  with  the  thrifty  housewives 
of  the  Island. 

Franz  was  not  a  handsome  boy,  even  Comfort 
would  not  have  ventured  to  claim  that  distinction  for 
him,  indeed,  her  own  brothers,  dark-haired  young 
giants,  were  far  more  comely  to  look  upon  than  the 
freckled,  sun-burned  Swedish  lad,  who,  even  at  his 
best  had  a  slouchy  loose-jointedness  about  him  that 
made  his  ill-fitting  clothes  shabbier  still,  and  gave  no 
hint  of  the  latent  strength  and  endurance  lurking 
behind  that  unpromising  exterior. 

Not  seldom  Franz's  shrewd  interference  had  pro 
tected  his  little  friend  from  the  petty  tyranny  of  her 
brothers,  and  while  they  owed  him  no  good-will  on 
that  account,  his  ready  good-nature  and  skill  in  wood 
craft  made  him  a  most  desirable  comrade,  and  ex 
empted  him  from  the  small  insults  and  ill-turns  that 
otherwise  they  would  have  been  only  too  glad  to 
subject  him  to. 

Fortunately  the  boy  was  not  in  the  least  sensitive 


24  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

in  regard  to  himself  or  his  personal  deficiencies,  nor 
did  he  for  an  instant  dream  that  honest  poverty  was 
an  inheritance  to  be  ashamed  of.  Thus  he  was  good- 
naturedly  invincible  against  any  mean  shaft  of  ridi 
cule  that  might  be  levelled  at  him  on  account  of  his 
humble  station  or  belongings.  But  there  was  one 
point  upon  which  the  good-ternpered,  not  easily 
aroused  lad  was  so  sensitive  that  the  hardest,  most 
mischief-loving  urchin  in  the  whole  district  would 
have  been  shy  of  venturing  hint  or  jest,  and  that  was 
the  good  name  of  his  grandmother. 

That  the  dame  was  a  character,  in  her  way,  cannot 
be  denied,  —  a  queer  compound  of  great  natural  in 
telligence  united  with  a  love  of  the  marvellous,  that 
made  her  a  perfect  storehouse  of  old,  weird  legends 
that,  in  the  eyes  of  her  matter-of-fact  neighbors,  sa 
vored  strongly  of  the  supernatural.  Among  her  other 
old  Scandinavian  possessions  she  claimed  the  gift 
of  "  second  sight,"  and  it  is  not  strange  that,  in  a 
day  when  ancient  superstition  still  held  sway  over 
the  vulgar  mind  to  a  great  extent,  the  queer,  friend 
less  old  woman,  who  persisted  in  wearing  her 
national  kerchief  on  her  head  instead  of  the  con 
ventional  matronly  bonnet,  and  who  seldom  ex 
changed  visits  with  the  goodwives  thereabouts,  should 
have  gained  the  unenviable  reputation  of  a  witch, 
among  the  more  ignorant  and  superstitious  of  her 
neighbors.  To  be  sure,  sensible  folks  laughed  at 
the  idea,  but  there  was,  as  in  every  community,  a 
class  of  narrow-minded,  mystery-loving  ones  who 
found  it  more  satisfactory  to  account  for  Granny 
Hedvig's  peculiarities  by  calling  her  a  witch  than 


A  Declaration  of  Independence        25 

by  any  more  sensible  or  charitable   solution   of  the 
question. 

Of  course  some  hint  of  this  had  not  failed  to  reach 
the  ears  of  Franz,  and  had  aroused  in  his  boyish  soul 
all  the  native  chivalry  and  fierce  indignation  that  a 
truly  manly  boy  must  necessarily  feel  as  the  only 
champion  of  age  and  helplessness. 


CHAPTER     IV 

DAME  HEDVIG 

FOR  several  days  after  Comfort's  rebellion  she  was 
on  the  alert  constantly  lest  Jotham,  in  fulfilment 
of  his  threat,  should  spring  some  trap  upon  her.  But 
as  time  passed  on  and  nothing  happened  to  cause 
her  any  special  uneasiness,  she  gradually  forgot  her 
fears,  and  lapsed  into  her  normal  state  of  innocent 
security.  Her  brother  was  perhaps  a  shade  more 
surly  and  unapproachable  than  usual,  but  that  signi 
fied  nothing.  It  was  his  usual  manner  in  the  house, 
and  even  his  father,  in  moments  of  extreme  exas 
peration,  had  been  known  to  call  him  an  "  unlicked 
cub,"  —  an  epithet  well  applied  to  his  rude,  ungenial 
nature,  housed  in  a  form  at  once  rough  and  strong, 
and  singularly  intolerant  of  outward  culture.  Only 
one  thing  had  aroused  the  child's  suspicions,  as 
being  so  foreign  from  his  usual  practice  that  there 
were  strong  grounds  for  apprehension  in  it,  although 
that  of  itself  wore  the  guise  of  such  unquestioning 
kindness  that  she  was  half  ashamed  of  herself  for  re 
garding  it  as  suspicious.  One  of  a  brood  of  chickens 
of  a  very  rare  kind  that  her  father  had  procured  at 
considerable  trouble  and  expense  had  been  found 
dead,  close  to  the  coop,  and  the  irritated  Squire  had 
declared  at  once  that  Cherry  must  have  killed  it.  In 
vain  her  little  mistress  declared,  even  with  tears,  that 


Dame  Hedvig  27 

such  a  thing  was  impossible,  as  it  had  been  killed  in 
the  night,  and  Cherry  always  slept  on  the  foot  of  her 
own  bed,  —  a  warm  nest  that  it  seldom  vacated  be 
fore  the  sun  was  high  in  the  heavens  and  all  about 
the  farmhouse  were  astir. 

Still  unconvinced,  the  Squire  relentlessly  de 
manded  reparation  on  the  part  of  poor  Cherry, 
whose  innocent  career  would  no  doubt  have  been 
prematurely  cut  short  but  for  the  unexpected  inter 
ference  of  Jotham  in  her  behalf. 

"  I  don't  believe  the  kitten  had  anything  to  do 
with  it.  'Twas  a  critter  a  good  deal  older  and 
stronger  than  she  is,  that  did  that  piece  of  mischief." 

The  curiosity  of  the  family  was  aroused,  of  course, 
by  these  mysterious  hints,  and  even  his  father 
deigned  to  ask: 

"  Who  or  what,  under  the  sun,  do  you  mean  ?  " 

Jotham  shook  his  head,  and  shut  his  heavy  jaws 
with  a  snap. 

"  Catch  him  telling  what  he  thought  till  he  was 
sure.  Wait  a  day  or  two  and  see  if  any  more  are 
killed,  and  then  't  would  be  time  enough  to  speak." 

His  father  muttered  something  about  not  wantin' 
his  chickens  used  to  catch  a  rogue,  but  he  had  a 
good  deal  of  confidence  in  the  sharpness  and 
sagacity  of  his  eldest  born,  and  for  the  time  the 
suspected  Cherry  was  safe  from  his  vengeance,  al 
though  he  kept  a  sharp  lookout  upon  the  unconscious 
pet  that  kept  poor  Comfort  in  a  state  of  constant  un 
rest,  and  made  her  start  with  terror  whenever  any  un 
usual  sounds  from  the  back  yard  where  the  chicken 
coops  were  kept  happened  to  reach  her  ear.  All  day 


28  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

long  she  kept  her  pet  in  sight,  and  many  times  in  the 
night  she  awoke  from  some  frightful  dream  to  reach 
out  a  trembling  hand  in  the  darkness,  and  softly 
stroke  the  little  fluffy  heap  at  her  feet,  to  make  sure 
that  she  was  really  there,  safe  and  sound,  and  out  of 
the  reach  of  any  possible  temptation  to  try  a  chicken 
diet. 

The  short  summer  term  of  school  was  over,  and 
when  her  daily  morning  tasks  were  done,  nothing 
so  pleased  the  child  as  to  be  sent  on  an  errand  to 
Granny  Hedvig's  cottage.  She  was  slowly  out 
growing  her  fear  of  the  lonely  road,  but  with  the 
prospect  of  listening  to  one  of  the  dame's  stories 
while  she  watched  her  at  her  spinning,  or  helping 
Franz  at  some  of  his  many  tasks,  she  would  willingly 
have  braved  actual  as  well  as  imaginary  dangers 
rather  than  forego  such  a  treat. 

It  was  a  beautiful  morning  early  in  September,  and 
as  she  tripped  along  the  narrow  grassy  pathway  that 
led  to  the  dame's  cottage,  she  sang  in  her  sweet 
childish  treble  a  snatch  from  some  old  song  that  she 
had  picked  up  somewhere,  —  as  snowbirds  will  find 
out  the  tender,  spicy  seeds  in  which  they  delight 
where  the  rest  of  the  world  sees  only  a  wide  waste  of 
unbroken  snow,  —  the  clear  notes  mingling  pleasantly 
with  the  happy  ripple  of  the  brook  close  by  the  path, 
and  the  far-off  whirr  of  the  mill,  nestling  at  the  base 
of  the  mountain  beneath  whose  friendly  shadow  the 
little  cottage  with  its  bit  of  garden  had  been  con 
tent  to  shelter  itself,  protected  alike  from  the  fierce 
wintry  tempests  and  the  summer's  short  but  intense 
heats. 


Dame  Hedvig  29 

Looking  upward,  one  could  see  on  every  hand 
majestic  peaks,  cloud-capped  and  clothed  with  the 
living  green  of  pine  and  hemlock,  looking  out  un 
moved  upon  the  great,  tossing,  seething  ocean,  that 
knocks  forever  with  foam-white  hands  against  the 
Island's  rock-ribbed  gates,  still  denied,  yet  never 
ceasing  through  all  these  countless  ages,  to  demand 
the  secrets  that  wary  nature  has  hidden  deep  within 
those  impregnable  walls  of  living  rock,  —  forged  in 
the  very  heart  of  the  earth,  and  tossed  upward  by 
the  mysterious  powers  that  hold  high  carnival  in 
those  subterranean  furnaces,  —  the  "  Cyclops  "  of  the 
ancient  poets,  the  "  gases  "  of  the  modern  scientist. 

Born  and  bred  in  the  midst  of  these  grand,  pictur 
esque  surroundings,  Comfort  had  naturally  asso 
ciated  them  with  the  commonplace  details  of  her 
simple  life  while  the  unconscious  pleasure  awakened 
in  her  by  the  sight  of  them  when,  as  on  this  clear 
summer  morning,  they  were  at  their  fairest,  might 
never  have  deepened  into  the  intense  poetic  fervor 
of  later  years  but  for  her  childish  association  with 
one  whose  whole  being  was  so  steeped  in  the  roman 
tic  lore  of  her  own  land  that  she  deified,  to  a  certain 
extent,  every  force  and  charm  of  nature  until, 
beneath  the  shadow  of  those  glorified  mountains, 
and  with  the  never  ceasing  paeans  of  the  great  ocean 
sounding  forever  in  her  ears,  life  be  it  ever  so  humble 
and  plain,  could  by  no  possibility  become  "  common 
or  unclean."  The  little  brook  close  by  the  pathway 
hurrying  along  over  its  rocky  bed  to  join  the  large, 
stream  below,  laughing  in  the  sunlight  and  darkling 
in  the  shadow,  reminded  her  of  that  bright,  wayward 


30  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

little  princess,  Christiana  of  Sweden,  of  whom  the 
dame  loved  so  dearly  to  talk,  while  the  tall,  pink- 
plumed  spireas  that  stood  beside,  bending  tenderly 
over  the  dimpled  water,  were  the  stately  maids  of 
honor,  standing  guard  over  the  little  queen,  and 
keeping  back  the  vulgar  herd  of  purse-proud  dan 
delions  and  saucy  touch-me-nots. 

Comfort's  life  was  in  many  respects  a  solitary  one, 
and  the  pretty  conceits  that  she  fashioned  from 
Dame  Hedvig's  legendary  lore  would  have  as 
tonished,  probably  horrified,  the  sober,  matter-of- 
fact  home  folks.  With  them  a  brook  was  a  brook,  a 
flower  was  a  flower,  and  any  attempt  to  idealize  them 
would  have  been  regarded  as  ridiculous,  not  to  say 
actually  wicked. 

Among  the  household  gods  that  our  stern  an 
cestors,  following  Jacob's  example,  buried  beneath 
Plymouth  Rock,  that  of  Imagination,  whose  foster- 
mother  had  been  the  resurrected  lore  of  heathen 
Greece  and  Rome,  had  been  planted  deeper  than  all 
the  rest.  And  if  some  weak-hearted  Rachel,  still 
clinging  with  tender  reverence  to  her  old  idol,  had 
ventured  to  hide  it  in  some  unsuspected  corner  of 
her  gray,  toilsome  life,  she  was  forced  to  worship  in 
secret,  with  no  music  or  incense  of  popular  approval 
to  dignify  it  into  respectability.  The  man  who  dared 
to  look  upon  life  through  the  poet's  rosy  spectacles 
was  "  love  cracked,"  while  the  woman  who  found 
more  beauty  in  the  blue  eyes  of  the  growing  flax 
than  in  that  same  flax  woven  into  good,  strong  tow 
and  linen  garments  was,  to  use  a  favorite,  if  rather 
ambiguous,  phrase,  "  next  door  to  a  fool." 


Dame  Hedvig  31 

Mrs.  Hadlock,  poor,  heart-hungry  soul !  had  tried 
to  satisfy  her  womanly  cravings  for  something  better 
in  life  than  meat,  and  drink,  and  work,  by  stealthily 
training  a  few  dwarfed  garden  flowers  in  an  unoccu 
pied  corner  beside  the  wall  of  the  vegetable  garden ; 
and  of  late,  by  decking  with  the  few  stray  bits  of 
brightness  that  her  husband's  marital  parsimony 
would  allow  her,  the  pretty  little  daughter,  in  whose 
childish  grace  and  beauty  she  seemed  to  see  again 
her  own  happy  self  in  those  old  days  whose  memory 
had  for  her  the  sad  sweetness  of  early  violets  upon 
the  grave  of  one  once  loved.  But  with  Comfort  it 
was  different.  Her  nature  was  so  elastic,  so  self- 
dependent  and  hopeful,  that  it  was  easy  for  her  to 
manufacture  her  own  sunshine  out  of  the  stray  glints 
that  fell  across  her  repressed  and  often  lonely  life. 

Nobody  quite  understood  the  child's  moods,  — 
now  blithe  and  merry  as  the  red-capped  cedar  birds 
that,  atilt  on  the  lilac  boughs,  would  peep  into  the 
dairy  windows  and  peck  fearlessly  at  the  crumbs  that 
the  little  maid  scattered  for  them  on  the  sunny  sill. 
Again,  silent,  shy,  with  thought  marks  between  the 
grave  eyes,  as  if  the  childish  brain  was  perplexing 
itself  all  too  early  with  the  unsolved  and  unsolvable 
problems  of  human  life.  Only  the  wise  old  woman, 
spinning  for  her  bread,  in  the  little  woodland  cabin, 
had  an  intuitive  perception  of  the  forces  at  work  upon 
the  girl's  mind,  and  in  her  quaint  fashion  she  con 
trived  to  drop  many  a  hint  and  sage  bit  of  advice  or 
warning  that  her  listener  never  forgot. 

"  I  love  dearly  to  study,"  she  had  said  sadly  one 
evening  as  she  sat  idly  watching  the  delicate  thread 


32  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

that  the  dame's  skilful  fingers  drew  without  seeming 
effort  from  the  wisp  of  flax  upon  her  distaff.  "  And 
I  'm  most  always  at  the  head  of  my  class.  But 
father  says,  all  girls  need  to  know  is  how  to  keep 
the  house  and  take  care  of  children.  He  says  that 
if  he  could  have  his  way,  not  a  girl  in  the  country 
should  learn  to  do  anything  more  than  to  just  read 
her  Bible  and  write  her  own  name.  The  boys  are 
going  to  college  when  they  are  old  enough,  but  I  'm 
to  stay  at  home  and  help  mother  do  the  work." 

"  And  why  not  ?  "  hummed  the  dame,  in  a  tone  so 
low  that  it  seemed  scarcely  more  in  the  stillness  than 
the  monotonous  murmur  of  the  wheel.  "  Know  you 
not,  my  Comfort,  that  it  is  the  tender,  the  weak,  the 
never-noticed  ones  that  tame  and  shape  the  whole 
world?  There  was  the  cruel  wolf  Fenris  that  no 
cord  could  be  found  strong  enough  to  bind,  and  the 
tender  mountain  sprites  forged  a  chain,  —  soft  it  was 
and  frail  as  a  silken  string,  for  it  was  made  of  six  of 
the  weakest  things  that  can  be  found :  the  footfall  of 
a  cat,  the  beards  of  women,  the  roots  of  stones,  the 
breath  of  fishes,  the  nerves  of  bears,  and  spittle  of 
birds.  Their  smith  was  Patience,  and  his  forge-fire 
Courage.  And  never  yet  has  the  wolf  been  strong 
enough  to  break  the  chain." 

The  child  smiled,  and  the  discontent  faded  from 
her  face  as  she  said  brightly: 

"  I  guess  I  know  what  you  mean,  Granny.  But 
did  n't  it  take  an  awful  while  to  make  that  chain?  " 

"  Aye,  child,  a  very,  very  long  time." 

And  the  calm,  old  face  under  the  folded  kerchief 
took  on  a  shade  of  tender  sadness  as  she  said  gently: 


Dame  Hedvig  33 

"  But  Patience  and  Courage  can  do  all  things  in 
timer 

But  to-day  there  were  no  perplexing  questions 
troubling  the  little  maiden  as  she  hastened  to  do  her 
mother's  errand,  and  then  at  the  dame's  invitation  to 
seat  herself  comfortably  in  the  seat  of  honor,  the 
only  rocking-chair  that  the  little  cottage  boasted, 
an  ancient  wooden  affair  with  a  bright  patchwork 
cushion  that  Granny  looked  upon  with  honest  pride, 
as  a  perfect  marvel  of  taste  and  ingenuity.  The  log- 
cabin,  small  and  unpretentious,  was  nevertheless  as 
warm  and  cosy  a  nest  as  any  pair  of  Arctic  birds 
used  to  the  long,  inclement  northern  winters  could 
desire.  The  outer  walls,  even  the  sharply  sloping 
roof  were  covered  all  summer  with  a  perfect  network 
of  wild  creepers,  that  were  already  beginning  to  show 
here  and  there  a  crimson  or  bronze  leaf  against  the 
russet  background  of  rough  logs;  while  the  roses  in 
which  the  mistress  of  the  cabin  delighted,  and  for 
slips  of  which  she  had  bartered  many  a  knot  of  her 
finest  and  smoothest  thread,  climbed  about  the  low, 
four-paned  windows,  and  put  forth  their  fragrant 
blossoms  and  scarlet  hips  with  equal  boldness,  sure 
of  a  loving  welcome  in  whatever  shape  they  might 
come. 

On  either  side  of  the  low  sunny  doorway  stood  an 
ash  and  an  alder  that  Granny  called  Aske  and  Embla, 
from  a  tradition  that  when  Odin  the  creator  made 
man  and  woman  out  of  these  trees,  these  were  the 
names  bestowed  upon  them,  and  to  keep  up  the 
conceit,  the  old  woman  always  religiously  hung  her 
dish-cloths  and  strainer  upon  Embla,  while  the  stur- 

3 


34  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

dier  Aske  was  obliged  to  do  duty  as  a  support  for  the 
rake,  hoe,  and  axe  that  Franz  used  in  his  daily  work. 
There  were  only  two  rooms  inside,  and  Franz  slept 
in  a  bunk  built  against  the  kitchen  wall,  and  filled 
to  the  top  with  the  tender,  spicy  tips  of  pine  and 
hemlock,  laid  "  shingle  fashion,"  layer  above  layer, 
until  the  elastic,  fragrant  mass  became  a  couch  fit 
for  a  king,  —  or  any  other  lazy  man  troubled  with 
insomnia.  The  great  stone  fireplace  filled  nearly  one 
end  of  the  principal  room,  and  over  it  on  a  rough 
shelf  was  arranged  a  store  of  curious  things,  most  of 
them  relics  of  Granny's  old  home  across  the  seas. 

There  was  a  queer  old  picture  in  a  frame  of  curi 
ously  carved  bone,  intended  to  represent  the  god 
Odin,  in  the  form  of  a  venerable,  sad-faced  old  man, 
with  a  long,  white  beard  falling  upon  his  breast,  a 
wolf  fawning  at  either  knee,  and  his  two  ravens, 
Thought  and  Memory,  perched  upon  his  shoulders, 
whispering  to  him  the  dreadful  story  of  all  the  sin  and 
suffering  in  the  world,  that  it  was  their  mission  to  see 
and  repeat.  A  collection  of  curious  rocks  and  shells 
almost  crowded  the  prosaic  tinder  box  out  of  its 
place,  and  left  only  room  enough  for  the  mysterious 
oaken  casket  that  held  the  mystic  "  runes  "  upon  the 
reading  of  which  Granny's  reputation  as  a  seeress 
was  principally  founded.  Comfort  was  sometimes 
permitted  as  a  great  favor  to  handle  these  cherished 
"divining  rods"  that  resembled  in  size  and  shape 
the  wooden  jackstraws  that  the  children  of  the  last 
generation  were  so  fond  of  playing  with.  Very 
simple,  childish  things  they  looked,  only  little  slender 
sticks  of  some  kind  of  white  wood,  carved  on  both 


Dame  Hedvig  35 

sides  with  a  great  number  of  odd  characters,  and 
huddled  together  as  it  seemed  without  anything  of 
law  or  order.  But  in  the  dame's  practised  hand  they 
became  all  at  once  possessed  of  a  wonderful  power 
that  the  ignorant  unhesitatingly  pronounced  super 
natural,  and  which  the  old  woman  herself — good 
Lutheran  as  she  was,  and  vowed  to  eschew  the  Devil 
and  all  his  works  —  regarded  with  a  kind  of  awesome 
wonder  not  unmixed  with  fear. 

The  gift  of  reading  runes  had  been  handed  down  in 
her  family  for  many  generations,  and  although  always 
used  gratuitously  and  in  kindness  had  never  proved 
a  blessing  to  the  seeress  and  those  she  best  loved. 
They  had  foretold  the  death  of  Granny's  young  hus 
band,  of  her  son's  ill-fated  marriage  and  death,  and 
lastly  of  her  exile  with  her  orphaned  grandchild  to 
the  New  World,  where  in  comparative  poverty  she  had 
reared  him,  a  freeman  among  freemen,  and  strong  in 
the  hope  that,  in  this  land  of  liberty,  where  every 
man,  whatever  his  birth  and  antecedents,  may  climb 
if  he  can  and  will,  the  bold  blood  of  his  Norse  ances 
tors  might  win  for  him  the  fame  and  fortune  that  an 
untoward  fate  had  denied  to  his  sire  and  grandsire  in 
the  old  home. 

Many  a  time,  urged  by  boyish  curiosity,  Franz  had 
coaxed  his  grandam  to  "  tell  his  fortune "  with  her 
magic  sticks,  but  always  in  vain. 

"  It  is  the  bitter  runes  that  fall  to  me,"  she  would 
say  with  a  shudder,  "  and  I  shall  no  more  read  them 
for  my  own." 

But  this  morning,  after  the  boy  had  gone  to  his 
daily  task  at  the  mill,  she  had  all  at  once  become 


36  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

possessed  of  an  irresistible  desire  to  try  the  runes  in 
his  behalf,  and  the  opportune  call  of  her  little  friend 
suggested  an  idea  that  she  was  prompt  to  take  advan 
tage  of.  That  friendly  childish  hand  instead  of  her 
own  should  shake  the  charmed  box,  thus  making  a 
break  in  the  spell  to  avert  the  malignant  influence 
that  she  so  dreaded. 

Naturally  Comfort  was  delighted  with  the  oppor 
tunity  of  thus  gratifying  her  childish  curiosity,  and 
when  the  dame,  with  much  ceremony,  had  spread  a 
square  of  finest  linen,  yellow  with  age,  and  wrought 
in  strange  cabalistic  devices  by  the  hand  of  some  old 
ancestress,  upon  the  little  round  cherry-wood  stand, 
the  child  was  permitted  herself  to  unlock  the  won 
derful  box,  gathering  the  sticks  into  a  compact  bunch 
in  her  hand,  to  hold  them  for  a  moment  suspended 
in  solemn  silence  above  the  magic  cloth,  then  letting 
them  fall  as  they  would,  scattered  in  every  direction, 
and  crossing  and  recrossing  each  other  in  a  score  of 
fantastic  shapes,  from  which  Granny's  skill  was  to 
divine  something  of  the  future  of  the  lad  so  dear  to 
both  their  hearts. 

The  old  woman's  brow  was  puckered  into  an  anx 
ious  frown  as  she  pored  reverently  above  the  fateful 
symbols,  until,  in  evident  desire  to  be  rid  of  the 
child's  curious  regard,  she  cried  suddenly: 

"  I  can  do  nothing  with  Frigga  crying  without  in 
the  catnip  patch.  If  my  child  will  but  go  to  her  —  " 

"  Of  course  I  will,  poor  Frigga  !  I  should  n't  won 
der  a  bit  if  she  'd  been  stung  by  those  bees." 

And  forgetting  all  her  interest  in  the  runes  and 
their  possible  revelations  in  her  solicitude  for  the 


Dame  Hedvig  37 

cat,  whose  plaintive  mew  was  every  moment  grow 
ing  louder  and  more  distressed,  Comfort  darted  out 
of  the  cottage  and  in  the  direction  of  the  catnip 
patch  in  such  hot  haste  that  she  never  noticed  the 
strange  gentleman  who,  sitting  in  the  shadow  of  the 
trees  on  the  other  side  of  the  foot-path,  was  busily 
at  work  sketching  the  cottage  and  its  picturesque 
surroundings. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  WIDDER  SCRIPTURE'S   SUMMER  BOARDER 

"  I7RIG-GA !  Frig-ga !  "  called  the  childish  voice, 
A  and  "  Frig-ga  !  Frig-ga !  "  repeated  the  moun 
tain  echoes,  while  the  stranger  under  the  maple 
across  the  way  suspended  his  work  for  a  moment  to 
watch  with  a  smile  of  amused  interest  the  search 
going  on  in  the  catnip  patch.  The  plot  of  carefully 
tended  catnip  was  one  of  the  peculiar  institutions 
that  Granny's  neighbors  were  wont  to  turn  up  their 
noses  at  as  one  of  the  whimsies  of  a  half-crazy  old 
woman,  although  nobody  could  deny  the  fact  that 
her  bees,  for  whose  sole  benefit  it  was  cultivated, 
were  the  best  honey  producers  for  many  miles 
around. 

"  Let  the  critters  do  their  own  foragin',"  the  other 
bee  keepers  would  say.  There  were  weeds  enough 
growing  wild  all  over  the  island  without  coaxing 
them  to  grow,  and  what  were  the  bees  good  for  if 
they  could  n't  provide  their  own  fodder?  But  Gran 
ny,  with  her  Old  World  thrift,  contended  that  to  bees 
as  well  as  men  "  time  was  money,"  and  if  the  little 
workers  found  their  raw  material  near  at  hand  they 
would  waste  no  time  in  searching  for  it.  And  as  a 
natural  consequence  of  this  wise  economy,  the  row 
of  old-fashioned  straw  hives  bordering  one  side  of 
the  small  clearing  had  a  third  more  honey  to  spare 


Widder  Scripture's  Summer  Boarder     39 

at  the  end  of  the  season  than  any  others  in  the  neigh 
borhood,  while,  owing  to  the  peculiar  aromatic  flavor, 
Granny's  honey  was  sure  to  find  eager  purchasers. 

But  it  was  not  to  the  bees  alone  that  that  garden 
of  sweet-scented  purple  blooms  was  a  storehouse  of 
tempting  sweets.  Frigga,  the  dame's  pet  cat,  found 
it  just  the  spot  that  her  feline  instincts  prompted  her 
to  forage  in,  regardless  of  many  a  cruel  sting  from 
which  her  undefended  nose  had  suffered  during  these 
perilous  raids.  For  Frigga,  be  it  understood,  was  no 
ordinary,  tame-spirited  puss,  who  once  conquered  is 
conquered  forever.  Far  from  that !  The  blood  of  a 
long  race  of  bold  Norse  mousers  ran  in  her  veins, 
and  no  doubt  she  found  it  hard  to  forget  that  her 
own  mother  had  dared  the  perils  and  inconveniences 
of  an  ocean  voyage,  as  well  as  the  privations  of  a 
pioneer  life,  and  had  been  the  petted  friend  and  com 
panion  of  her  lonely  mistress  for  many  a  long  and 
toilsome  year.  Her  glossy  black  coat  showed  not  a 
hair  of  mongrel  white,  —  only  the  soft  velvety  paws, 
always  daintily  scornful  of  smirch  or  speck,  wore  the 
hue  of  their  ancestral  snows ;  while  the  slow,  stately 
grace  with  which  she  carried  her  long  tail,  as  if  it  had 
been  the  train  of  some  grand  court  lady,  and  the 
grave  dignity  with  which  she  always  repelled  the 
smallest  advance  toward  friendliness  on  the  part  of 
her  plebeian  neighbors  said  as  plainly  as  words  could 
have  done : 

"  /  am  a  cat  of  condition,  and  we  '11  have  no  famili 
arities,  if  you  please,  ma'am." 

But  Frigga  at  ease  in  the  warmest  corner  of  the 
kitchen  hearth,  or  curled  up  luxuriously  in  Comfort's 


40  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

lap,  and  Frigga  with  the  sting  of  an  angry  bee  in  her 
nose,  were  two  altogether  different  animals.  And 
now,  borne  in  her  rescuer's  tender  arms  to  the  cabin, 
she  moaned  and  whined,  and  rubbed  with  an  impa 
tient  paw  the  injured  member  just  for  all  the  world 
as  any  ordinary  cat  would  have  done  under  like  cir 
cumstances. 

"  O  Granny !  She's  got  a  dreadful  sting  on  her 
nose  this  time,"  cried  Comfort  distressfully,  as  soon 
as  she  caught  sight  of  the  old  woman's  face  peering 
from  the  low  doorway.  "  Do  please  hurry,  and  get 
something  to  put  on  it,"  and  she  held  up  her  home 
spun  apron  with  its  woful  freight,  as  one  sure  of 
sympathy  and  help. 

To  her  surprise  the  dame  seemed  strangely  indif 
ferent  to  the  sad  plight  of  her  pet.  She  only  laughed 
rather  absently,  while  her  withered  fingers  toyed  with 
the  bit  of  thread  that  she  held  between  them,  and  her 
eyes  unnaturally  bright,  had  a  far-away  look  in  them 
as  if  she  were  seeing  something  far  beyond  the  narrow 
bounds  of  her  own  little  domain, —  a  look  that  the 
child  had  never  seen  there  before,  and  which  puzzled 
and  somehow  awed  her  into  a  bewildered  silence. 

"  And  so  the  poor  Frigga  has  had  a  taste  of  Prey's 
sword?"  and  she  softly  patted  the  head  of  the  dis 
tressed  animal.  "  But  a  pat  of  damp  earth  will  soon 
make  all  right." 

And  while  Comfort  held  the  head  of  the  struggling 
cat,  the  dame  contrived  to  fasten  the  healing  loam 
upon  the  injured  member,  too  absorbed  in  her  own 
thoughts  to  notice  the  approach  of  the  stranger 
who,  coming  up  unobserved,  now  stood  watching 


Widder  Scripture's  Summer  Boarder     41 

with  evident  interest  the  progress  of  the  dame's 
surgery. 

"  It  is  for  thy  good,  my  Frigga,"  she  murmured 
soothingly,  without  resenting  in  the  least  an  angry 
scratch  that  the  ungrateful  patient  bestowed  upon 
her,  "  an  thou  wilt  go  into  danger,  thou  must  suffer 
for  it." 

Here  a  movement  behind  them  suddenly  caused 
her  to  drop  the  cat  and  turn  to  meet  the  laughing 
eyes  of  a  stout  youngish  gentleman,  whose  dress  as 
well  as  his  unshaven  lip  showed  that  he  was  no 
dweller  hereabouts. 

"  Begging  your  pardon,"  he  said  with  a  brusque 
courtesy  that  was  as  far  removed  from  rudeness  as 
from  the  prim  ceremoniousness  of  the  rustic  strangers 
who  sometimes  dropped  in  at  the  cottage,  out  of  curi 
osity  or  to  bargain  for  some  of  her  simple  stores. 
"But  will  you  kindly  loan  me  a  cup  that  I  can  drink 
from?"  with  a  nod  toward  the  shining  little  brook 
whose  clear  waters  rippling  over  their  pebbly  bed 
looked  very  much  cooler  than  they  really  were,  as 
the  dame  well  knew. 

"  If  the  gentleman  will  come  in,"  dropping  a 
modest  courtesy  after  the  fashion  of  her  country 
women,  "  he  shall  have  something  better  than  the 
warm  brook  water  to  drink." 

As  he  seemed  only  too  glad  to  accept  her  hospi 
tality,  she  bustled  about  with  pleased  solicitude  to  see 
him  comfortably  seated,  and  as  she  placed  a  glass  and 
pitcher  of  foaming  mead  upon  the  stand  beside  him, 
she  explained  with  natural  housewifely  pride,  that 
the  honey  used  in  the  mixture  was  from  her  own 


42  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

hives,  and  that  more  than  a  twelvemonth  had  passed 
since  it  was  brewed, —  excellences  that  the  gentleman 
evidently  appreciated,  if  one  might  judge  by  the 
relish  with  which  he  sipped  the  refreshing  beverage, 
his  bright,  observant  glance  taking  in  meanwhile  every 
detail  of  the  quaint  furnishings  of  the  room,  as  well 
as  the  odd  dress  and  old  world  speech  and  manners 
of  its  hospitable  mistress.  The  "  runes "  had  been 
hastily  huddled  into  their  box  upon  the  entrance  of 
the  guest,  but  the  linen  stand  cloth  with  its  queer 
hieroglyphics  still  remained  and  caught  the  stranger's 
eye  as  he  replaced  his  glass. 

"By  your  leave,  madam,"  and  he  lifted  a  corner  of 
the  cloth  to  examine  it  more  closely,  while  his  face 
lighted  up  with  a  smile  of  intelligent  interest.  "  These 
Runic  characters  are  not  new  to  me,"  he  said  by  way 
of  explanation.  "  I  was  in  Norway  almost  two  years 
studying  the  scenery  of  that  country,  and  I  learned 
something  of  these.  I  believe,"  uncertainly  tracing 
the  silken  lines  with  the  tip  of  his  pencil,  "  that  this 
is  some  story  about  the  god  Frey,  so  far  as  I  can 
make  it  out." 

"  And  so  it  is." 

The  old  woman's  cheek  glowed,  and  her  form  grew 
suddenly  erect  as  if  a  blast  from  her  own  northern 
mountains  had  all  at  once  swept  across  her  cheek, 
kindling  the  blood  of  youth  once  more  in  her  veins, 
and  bringing  back  the  pride  and  joy  of  her  half- 
forgotten  girlhood,  with  the  scent  of  her  native  pines. 

"  It  is  the  story  of  how  Frey  lost  his  magic  sword, 
and  all  for  love.  My  great-great-grandam,"  she 
added  with  pardonable  pride,  "  wrought  it  with  her 


Widder  Scripture's  Summer  Boarder     43 

own  fingers,  of  silken  threads  that  her  Viking  lord 
brought  to  her  from  afar  over  the  seas." 

The  stranger  smiled  good-humoredly. 

"  From  one  of  his  piratical  raids/'  he  appended 
with  a  bit  of  sly  sarcasm,  for  which  he  immediately 
tried  to  atone  by  begging  the  dame  to  read  the  legend 
for  him,  declaring  that  his  own  skill  only  extended  to 
the  translation  of  a  word  here  and  there. 

Little  urging  did  Granny  need,  for  she  was  in  her 
element  with  such  an  interested  and  intelligent 
listener,  and  she  would  gladly  have  gone  on  for 
hours  repeating  the  stories  that  had  charmed  her 
childhood,  and  which  still  held  their  brightness  as 
undimmed  by  age  or  change  as  the  silken  threads  of 
her  grandmother's  mystic  embroidery. 

"The  god  Frey,"  she  began,  translating  the  runes 
into  the  familiar  vernacular  of  her  day  and  neighbor 
hood,  "  had  a  wonderful  sword,  that  would  fill  a  whole 
field  with  dead  men  did  he  once  lift  it,  but  he  lost  it 
for  love,  —  and  this  is  how  it  came  about :  One  un 
lucky  day  he  climbed  up  to  Odin's  throne,  for  from 
there  he  might  look  all  over  the  world.  And  as  he 
looked  he  saw  a  lovely  maiden,  —  so  fair  and  white 
was  she  that  her  naked  arms  made  the  air  bright  like 
sunshine  whenever  she  waved  them.  And  Frey  the 
gentle  loved  her.  And  he  grew  pale  and  thin,  and 
silent;  and  he  ate  nothing  and  drank  nothing,  neither 
would  he  come  to  the  banquet  of  the  gods,  but  sat 
apart  in  solitary  places,  dreaming  ever  of  the  beauti 
ful  maiden  whose  snowy  arms  had  won  from  him  his 
heart. 

"  Then  Skirner  the  Crafty  guessed  his  secret,  and 


44  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

he  said :  '  O  Frey,  son  of  Niord,  and  god  of  the  rain, 
the  sunshine,  and  the  pleasant  fruits,  give  me  thy 
magic  sword,  and  I  will  win  for  thee  the  maiden  Gud- 
run  to  be  thy  bride.'  So  Frey  gave  him  the  sword, 
and  the  maiden  listened  to  Skirner's  honeyed  words, 
and  promised  that  when  nine  days  and  nights  should 
have  passed  away  she  would  wed  Frey.  Then  Frey 
sang: 

"  '  Long  is  one  night, 

Long  are  two  nights, 

How  shall  I  hold  out  three  ? 

Shorter  hath  seemed 

A  month  to  me  oft, 

Than  of  this  longing  time  the  half.' 

"And  Skirner,  after  the  sword  had  destroyed  all 
his  enemies,  sold  it  to  the  King  of  the  Bees,  and  the 
Bees  have  kept  it  unto  this  day." 

"  But  one  bee  parted  with  his  because  he  was  mad 
with  poor  Frigga,"  put  in  Comfort,  forgetting  her 
shyness  of  the  stranger  in  her  interest  in  the  story. 

The  gentleman  laughed,  such  a  frank,  gay,  good- 
humored  laugh  that  our  little  maid  never  dreamed 
of  resenting  it. 

"  So  the  realism  of  To-day  bruises  the  heels  of  an 
ideal  Past,"  he  laughed  half  regretfully,  then  address 
ing  the  dame  he  asked  with  a  show  of  kindly 
interest : 

"  Is  this  little  lass  your  grandchild?" 

"  She  is  none  of  my  kin." 

The  gravity  with  which  she  emphasized  the  words 
seemed  to  strike  her  listener  with  an  odd  sense  of 
some  hidden  meaning  underlying  the  simple  assertion, 


Widder  Scripture's  Summer  Boarder     45 

for  he  regarded  her  sharply  for  a  moment  before  rising 
to  take  his  leave,  with  thanks  for  her  hospitality  and 
the  courteous  request  that  he  might  be  allowed  to 
repeat  his  visit. 

"  Why,  that 's  the  Widder  Scripture's  summer 
boarder,"  exclaimed  Comfort,  as  his  broad  shoulders 
and  careless  straw  hat  disappeared  from  sight  down 
the  leafy  avenue.  "  He 's  from  the  city,  and  he 's 
staying  here  to  paint  pictures  of  all  the  places  round 
here.  The  widder  told  mother  that  he  had  some  of 
the  prettiest  ones  she  ever  saw." 

"  And  well  he  may  make  beautiful  pictures  with  all 
this  beauty  before  his  eyes." 

The  old  woman's  glowing  face  was  uplifted,  and 
the  dim  eyes  were  turned  yearningly  toward  the 
mountain  peaks  half  veiled  in  the  purple  September 
haze,  through  whose  rifts  the  gray  and  ruddy  granite 
gleamed  warm  and  bright  in  the  idle  sunshine, — a 
beautiful  contrast  to  the  sombre  green  of  the  low-grow 
ing  pines  with  which  the  proud  monarch  deigned  to 
"  cover  "  his  royal  feet.  Scarce  a  stone's  throw  away 
lay  Witch  Hollow  Pond,  —  a  brooch  of  diamond- 
studded  lapis-lazuli  upon  the  meadow's  fair  breast, 
while  the  soft  lapping  of  waves  upon  the  sandy  beach 
of  the  not  far  distant  cove  could  be  distinctly  heard 
in  the  noonday  stillness,  as  the  two  outwardly  so  un 
like,  and  yet  with  that  mystic  spirit  bond  so  strong 
between  them,  stood  at  the  humble,  vine-framed  door, 
silent  and  thoughtful,  yet  conscious  of  a  joy  too  in 
tense  to  be  unmixed  with  pain.  It  was  the  same 
sensation  that  the  child  had  been  so  often  conscious 
of  in  listening  to  some  old  song,  whose  simple  beauty 


46  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

and  pathos  had  brought  the  unbidden  tears  to  her 
eyes. 

Franz  came  whistling  up  the  path,  and  the  spell 
was  broken. 

"  Halloo  there,  Granny,  Comfort !  What  are  you 
looking  at?" 

"  Nothing,"  replied  the  child,  with  an  abashed 
laugh. 

"  Heaven,"  murmured  the  dame  with  reverent  ten 
derness.  And  she  hastened  into  the  house  to  spread 
the  table  for  their  noonday  meal. 

As  the  artist  had  said,  —  truly  the  practical  treads 
ever  upon  the  heels  of  the  ideal. 


CHAPTER   VI 

A   NEIGHBORLY   BODY 

"  T?  ARLY  to  bed  and  early  to  rise  "  was  one  of  the 

-L '  Widow  Scripture's  favorite  maxims,  and  the 
heaviest  trial  that  her  summer  boarder  laid  upon  her 
much-enduring  shoulders  was  the  seven  o'clock  break 
fast,  that  his  late  rising  necessitated  in  her  otherwise 
well-regulated  household.  Not  that  she  endured  this 
innovation  upon  long-established  custom  with  patient 
equanimity  by  any  means,  for  long  before  the  loud- 
voiced  clock  in  the  kitchen  corner  had  given  its  five 
matin  strokes,  her  brisk  step  sounded  upon  the  bare 
boards  overhead,  and  her  shrill  tones  awoke  the  echoes 
of  the  dusky  old  farmhouse  with  the  familiar  call  : 

"  Come,  Tabby,  up  with  ye  !  It 's  high  time  decent 
folks  was  out  o'  their  beds." 

And  woe  to  the  luckless  Tabby  if,  counting  upon 
her  mother's  housewifely  distractions,  she  ventured 
upon  so  much  as  one  little  "  beauty  nap." 

The  widow  was  a  strong-armed  as  well  as  deter 
mined  woman,  or  she  could  never  have  transferred 
that  hundred  and  ten  pounds  avoirdupois  from  the 
bed  to  the  floor  with  such  wonderful  celerity  as  she 
did  when  her  first  summons  was  disregarded.  And 
if  the  summer  boarder  had  not  been  an  uncommonly 
brave  man  he  would  have  trembled  in  his  own  bed 
lest  a  similar  experience  might  befall  him  too.  After 


48  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  fashion  of  country  homes  of  that  day  the  best 
sleeping-room  was  below  stairs,  and  as  it  was  pro 
vided  with  wooden  partitions,  the  energetic  mistress 
of  the  house  had  no  need  to  raise  her  voice  above  its 
usual  pitch  to  reach  the  ears  of  the  offending  laggard 
in  the  next  room,  who  could  thus  be  conveniently 
talked  at,  when  common  prudence  forbade  a  more 
direct  address. 

She  raked  open  the  bed  of  coals  in  the  fireplace 
with  a  tremendous  rattle  of  shovel  and  tongs,  a  thud 
of  heavy  wood,  and  the  protesting  creak  of  the 
burdened  fire  dogs  that,  like  their  mistress,  had  evi 
dently  never  learned  to  bear  life's  burdens  uncomplain 
ingly.  Then  came  the  brisk,  cheery  snapping  and 
crackling  of  the  dry  beechen  logs,  the  not  unmusical 
tinkle  of  the  water  against  the  iron  sides  of  the  tea 
kettle,  and  above  all  the  sharp,  strident  tones  of  the 
house  mistress : 

"  Here,  Tabby,  you  run  out  an'  dig  a  mess  o'  per- 
taters  f'r  breakfast.  An'  don't  you  let  the  grass  grow 
under  yer  feet,  f'r  I've  got  work  enough  on  hand  f'r 
to-day  to  keep  a  dozen  women  on  the  clean  jump 
from  sunrise  to  sunset." 

And  as  the  door  slammed  behind  the  obedient 
Tabby,  she  went  on  in  the  same  elevated  key,  evi 
dently  indifferent  to  or  oblivious  of  a  long,  sleepy 
sigh  from  the  unfortunate  boarder's  room. 

"  I  s'pose  I've  got  ter  fry  them  trout  f'r  breakfast 
or  there  '11  be  a  terrible  to-do.  It 's  hard  when  a 
body  puts  herself  out  to  cook,  an'  wash,  an'  iron  f  r  a 
stranger, — a  great  lazy  man  that  can't  find  nothin' 
ter  do  in  the  world  but  ter  paint  pictures  o'  things 


A  Neighborly  Body  49 

that  folks  can  look  at  any  time  without  costin'  'em  a 
cent,  —  it 's  hard,  I  say,  that  he  can't  get  up  in  time 
f  r  'is  meals." 

The  bedstead  in  the  next  room  creaks  uneasily  as 
if  it  had  a  conscience  ill  at  ease,  and  the  pork  in  the 
frying  pan  fizzles  and  sputters  in  sympathy,  while  the 
widow,  with  a  grim  smile  slowly  smothers  the  trout 
in  meal,  unheedful  of  its  beautifully  dappled  and 
slender  grace. 

"  Beauties  ? "  she  had  repeated  wonderingly,  as 
the  artist,  after  his  yesterday's  tramp  had  proudly 
produced  them  from  his  fishing  basket,  with  a 
natural  comment  upon  their  brilliant  coloring,  —  "I 
don't  know  what  you  mean  by  callin'  a  fish  '  beau 
tiful.'  They  're  good  wholesome  eatin',  but  I  must 
say  I  don't  see  where  the  beautiful  comes  in." 

The  artist  smiled  indulgently. 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Scripture,"  he  asked  with  a  glance  at 
her  hard,  practical  face,  "  what  is  your  idea  of 
beauty?  Who  or  what  do  you  call  beautiful?  " 

The  widow  considered  a  moment,  with  her  bare 
arms  akimbo,  while  she  regarded  her  questioner 
with  a  look  at  once  pitying  and  triumphant,  then 
suddenly  throwing  open  the  door  of  the  "  front 
room,"  she  motioned  her  guest  to  enter,  and  with  a 
smile  of  proud  triumph  pointed  to  a  small,  round 
stand  occupying  the  place  of  honor  beneath  the 
narrow  gilt-framed  looking-glass. 

"There,  that 's  what  /call  han'some." 

It  was  a  spray  of  some  kind  of  flower,  presumably 
roses,  ingeniously  fashioned  from  tiny  pink  and  white 
shells,  and  perched  upon  it,  almost  hiding  it,  with 

4 


50  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

his    gaudy  red    and   green   plumage,  was    a  stuffed 
parrot. 

"  Cap'n  Scriptur*  brought  it  home  with  him  from 
his  last  v'yage.  It's  furrin,  you  see,  —  they  don't 
make  nothin' o'  this  kind  in  these  parts,  —  and  he 
paid  four  dollars  and  thirty-seven  cents  f'r  it.  I 
would  n't  sell  it  though  f'r  twice  the  money." 

Her  voice  faltered,  and  a  tear  stole  down  her 
withered  cheek,  —  a  wifely  tribute  to  the  sailor  hus 
band  who  had  sailed  away  one  fine  morning  and  had 
never  been  heard  from  since,  leaving  his  then  young 
wife  to  grow  old,  and  sharp,  and  grasping,  in  the 
desperate  struggle  to  find  bread  and  shelter  for  her 
self  and  child. 

But  a  moment  later  she  was  scolding  Tabby  for 
her  shiftlessness  in  allowing  the  biscuit  to  scorch, 
and  bustling  about  getting  the  meal  upon  the  table, 
as  if  work  and  worry  were  the  real  business  of  life, 
and  love  and  sorrow  simply  episodes,  to  be  passed 
over  as  of  too  little  consequence  to  be  long  or  often 
thought  of. 

Meanwhile  the  artist,  as  he  took  his  favorite  seat 
upon  the  worn  block  of  granite  that  served  for  a 
doorstone,  and  watched  the  gray  mists  slowly  creep 
ing  over  the  peaks  on  either  hand,  parting  here  with 
a  shimmer  of  glowing  scarlet,  and  there  of  russet  and 
gold,  as  the  setting  sun's  rays  fell  upon  their  wooded 
sides  now  clothed  in  the  triumphal  glories  of  the 
ripened  year,  he  recalled  the  scene  just  passed,  and 
tried  for  the  hundredth  time  perhaps  to  solve  the 
problem  that  will  perplex  the  thinking  world  for 
generations  to  come  as  it  has  perplexed  ages  preced 
ing  ours: 


A  Neighborly  Body  51 

Is  nature  or  education  at  fault  when  men  and 
women  go  through  the  world  as  blind  as  dumb 
beasts  to  the  natural  beauties  about  them?  Did  our 
Lord's  "  Consider  the  lilies "  have  no  meaning 
beneath  the  obvious  one  of  God's  protecting  care? 
It  has  been  said  that  "  The  undevout  astronomer  is 
mad,"  and  the  same  words  might  be  applied  to  the 
student  of  nature  in  any  of  her  wonderful  and  varied 
forms. 

There  is  a  beauty  in  the  fitness,  the  marvellous 
adaptability  of  each  created  thing,  however  humble, 
to  its  various  needs  and  uses,  that  draws  the  soul  up 
ward  from  the  created  to  the  Creator,  to  the  per 
fection  of  beauty  that  exists  only  in  the  Godhead, 
and  we  can  see  how  a  Phidias  may  have  been  as 
devout  a  man  in  his  way  as  a  Fra  Angelico.  And 
yet,  it  is  an  undeniable  fact  that,  to  the  great  mass  of 
fairly  intelligent  people,  the  odd,  the  peculiar,  the 
grotesque,  has  a  far  greater  interest  and  charm  than 
the  actually  beautiful. 

Where  one  will  look  with  illumined  eyes  and  heart 
all  aglow  with  reverent  delight  upon  the  grand  and 
beautiful  scenery  of  the  White  Mountains,  ninety- 
nine  will  be  far  more  interested  and  impressed  by  the 
strange,  stony  profile  of  the  "  Old  Man  of  the  Moun 
tain,"  while  crowds  spend  their  breath  and  time  in 
praising  and  wondering  at  the  engineering  skill  dis 
played  in  the  construction  of  the  Green  Mountain 
railway,  who  never  have  the  smallest  conception  of 
the  majesty  and  beauty  of  the  outlook  from  the 
mountain's  lofty  summit.  One  is  everywhere  re 
minded  of  the  old  lady  who  looked  upon  Niagara 


52  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

and  the  suspension  bridge  '  for  the  first  time :  "  I 
don't  call  them  Falls  no  great  things,"  she  declared, 
"  because  God  made  'em,  an'  't  wa'  n't  nothin'  for  Him 
to  do.  But  that  bridge,  —  Good  land  !  to  think  that 
any  mortal  man  should  'a'  been  smart  enough  ter 
contrive  that,  jest  fairly  takes  away  my  breath." 

And  yet,  although  we  may  be  blind  to  the  natural 
beauties  about  us,  forgetting  that  the  common  and 
familiar  loses  none  of  its  charms  by  that  familiarity 
if  we  only  choose  to  look  upon  it  with  reverent  and 
willing  eyes,  there  is  a  sentiment  that  springs  up  all 
unconsciously  in  even  the  dullest  nature  for  the 
scenes  that  have  been  associated  with  their  earlier 
years,  —  a  kind  of  clannish  affection  for  that  small 
bit  of  the  great  earth  that  we  have  best  known  and 
enjoyed.  Thus  the  born  New  Englander,  transplanted 
to  the  prairies  of  the  West,  pines  with  homesick  long 
ing  for  the  rugged  mountains  and  pine-capped  hills 
of  his  native  State ;  the  dweller  by  the  seacoast  may 
toil  contentedly  upon  his  inland  farm,  but  he  never 
ceases  to  long  for  a  "  sniff  of  salt  sea  air,"  and  a  sight 
of  the  grand,  tossing,  tumultuous  sea  familiar  to  his 
boyhood  ;  and  the  country-bred  man  or  woman, 
though  successful  and  happy  in  a  city  home,  seldom 
fails  to  keep  in  some  corner  of  his  or  her  metropoli 
tan  heart  a  tender  memory  of  the  old  farmstead  with 
its  thousand  and  one  little  objects  of  interest  and 
love,  and  as  life  wanes  toward  its  setting  it  grows 
even  dearer  and  more  real  than  amidst  the  heat  and 
bustle  of  the  noonday. 

Our  artist  had  had  experience  of  this  feeling,  and 
as  he  sat  there  in  the  chill  of  the  now  fast-falling 


A  Neighborly  Body  53 

night,  his  mind  reverted  to  those  other  days  and 
nights  across  the  seas,  when,  with  a  young  man's 
steadfast  belief  in  the  superior  charms  of  nature  in 
the  Old  World,  he  had  roamed  from  land  to  land, 
with  pencil  and  sketch-book,  ever  patient,  ever 
hopeful,  and  yet  with  a  certain  unsatisfied  longing 
at  his  heart  for  the  homelikeness,  —  the  beauty  that 
has  in  it  something  more  than  delights  the  eye,  the 
tender  personality  that  comes  only  from  the  heart, 
and  makes  the  dull  bit  of  painted  canvas  instinct 
with  life  and  sentiment. 

He  had  painted  the  Drusenfall,  with  its  gigantic 
stony  figure  keeping  watch  and  ward  over  the  foamy 
mass  leaping  madly  down  the  rugged  face  of  the 
cliff,  but  all  the  time  there  danced  before  his  mind's 
eye  the  wonderful  waterfalls  of  his  own  land,  — 
grander,  fairer  a  thousandfold  than  this  Thuringian 
beauty,  —  until  he  threw  aside  the  half-finished  pic 
ture  in  a  spasm  of  self-disgust,  and  betook  himself 
to  the  work  of  delineating  some  of  the  tamer  and 
gentler  features  of  the  lands  through  which  his  wan 
dering  feet  strayed.  But  forest,  stream,  and  meadow, 
even  the  gorgeous  hues  of  Italian  sunsets,  only 
recalled  distracting  memories  of  those  of  his  own 
land,  until,  like  the  knight  who  spent  a  life-long  exile 
in  a  vain  search  for  the  "  Holy  Grail "  and  found  it 
at  last  at  his  own  castle  gate,  our  artist  turned  his 
face  homeward,  firm  in  the  conviction  that  for  ma 
jesty,  grace  and  beauty  no  land  could  equal  his  own. 

Years  had  passed  since  then,  and  he  had  won  a 
fair  share  of  fame  and  fortune  in  the  busy  world 
where  he  toiled  and  lived,  but  to  the  simple  Island 


54  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

folks  he  was  just  the  "Widow  Scripture's  boarder," 
—  a  man  who  "  was  too  lazy  to  work,  and  so  painted 
pictures  for  a  living."  His  unshaven  lip  and  a  certain 
foreign  air  in  dress  and  manner,  even  his  name 
(Humbre,)  had  an  outlandish  sound  to  their  unac 
customed  ears,  and  all  tended  to  prove  conclusively 
to  the  whole  neighborhood  that  he  was  an  "  odd  fish  " 
anyway,  and  more  than  one  prudent  matron  had 
taken  upon  herself  to  warn  the  widow  to  be  on  her 
guard  against  fortune-hunters,  and  men  who,  for 
aught  she  knew,  might  have  a  dozen  wives  already. 

In  time,  however,  the  frank  good  fellowship  and 
open  handedness  of  the  stranger  won  over  the  most 
suspicious  to  his  side,  one  good  woman  even  going 
so  far  as  to  admit  that  "  if  painting  was  a  lazy  trade, 
it  was  at  least  an  honest  one,"  while  the  widow  her 
self  stood  up  manfully  in  defence  of  her  maligned 
boarder. 

"  I  '11  say  this  much  fer  'im,"  she  declared,  "  he  's 
a  clever,  accommodatin'  critter  as  you  'd  wish  to  see. 
Time  an'  ag'in  when  me  'n'  Tabby  's  been  up  to  our 
eyes  in  work,  he  's  taken  the  hoe  an'  gone  out  into 
the  garding,  an'  dug  a  mess  o'  pertaters  f'r  dinner 
jest  as  handy  as  if  he  had  n't  done  nothin'  else  all  his 
life.  He  ain't  fussy  either  about  what  he  eats  —  the 
only  thing  we  don't  hitch  hosses  on  is  napkins,  —  he 
sticks  to  it  that  he  must  have  a  clean  one  every  meal, 
and  I  say  two  a  week  's  enough  f'r  anybody." 

It  was  true  that  the  napkin  question  was  the  one 
bone  of  contention,  as  the  widow  had  said,  and  on 
this  particular  morning  it  was  the  familiar  tocsin  that 
succeeded  finally  in  arousing  the  sleeper  from  his 


A  Neighborly  Body  55 

nap  to  the  consciousness  that  it  was  time  for  honest 
folks  to  be  astir. 

"  Now,  Tabby,  you  slap  them  pertaters  into  the 
bake-kittle  in  short  metre,  an'  then  run  over  to  Mis' 
Hadlock's  and  borrow  one  of  her  flat-irons.  Them 
pesky  napkins  that  Mr.  Humbre  thinks  he  can't  eat 
without,  had  ter  be  washed  yesterday,  an'  I  Ve  got 
to  iron  'em  this  forenoon  or  there  '11  be  a  pretty 
kittle  o'  fish.  Step  lively,  now,  there  ain't  no  time 
to  waste." 

But  Tabby  hung  back. 

"Where  's  yer  own  irons,  ma'am?"  she  demanded. 

"  Hangin'  on  the  pole  o'  the  cheese-press,"  was  the 
prompt  reply,  "  an'  I  don't  propose  to  take  'em  off 
when  a  neighbor 's  got  one  that  she  can  spare  as 
well's  not."' 

"  But,"  urged  the  reluctant  Tabby,  "  the  last  time 
you  borried  hers  she  had  to  send  for  it  four  times 
before  you  could  spare  it,  and  you  swore  then  that 
you  never  'd  borry  anything  of  her  again  as  long  as 
you  lived." 

The  widow's  sallow  face  reddened,  but  she  drew 
herself  up  majestically  and  pointed  one  bony  finger 
towards  the  door: 

"  Put,  —  you  sauce  box  !  Do  you  s'pose,"  she 
added  with  serene  unconsciousness  of  the  fact  that 
the  boot  might  be  considered  on  the  other  foot  in 
this  case,  "that  I'll  humor  her  in  her  ugliness? 
Hain't  I  accommodated  her  time  an'  ag'in  in  a  hun 
dred  ways,  besides  standin'  her  boys'  sass  ever  since 
they  was  born?  " 

And    as   Tabby    unwillingly   departed    upon    her 


56  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

errand,  her  mother  watched  her  with  a  disturbed  and 
anxious  face. 

"  I  don't  see  why  some  folks  should  be  so  much 
better  off' n  others,  f 'r  the  life  of  me.  There  's  Tabby 
now,  as  likely  lookin'  an'  smart  a  girl  as  there  is  on 
the  Island  (if  she  is  my  young  one),  but  I  ain't  got 
the  means  to  keep  'er  dressed  up  all  neat  an'  trim  as 
Mis'  Hadlock  does  Comfort,  let  me  pinch  an'  strain 
ever  so  hard.  That  girl  never 's  had  to  go  bare- 
fut  —  onless  she  wanted  to  —  a  day  in  her  life,  and 
she  always  has  new  hair  ribbons  f 'r  meetin'  an'  ex 
amination  days,  while  Tabby  has  to  save  her  one  pair 
o'  shoes  f'r  Sundays,  an'  tie  her  hair  up  with  a  strip 
of  calico." 

The  aggrieved  look  still  lingered  as  she  replied 
crustily  to  her  boarder's  cheery  morning  salutation : 

"  Yes,  pleasant  enough,  I  s'pose,  f'r  them  that  likes 
weather  sharp  enough  ter  take  the  hair  right  off  o' 
yer  face.  Time  f'r  frosty  nights  an'  mornin's?  Yes, 
of  course  't  is.  It 's  always  time  f'r  cold,  or  fog,  or 
frost  in  this  God-forsaken  hole,  where  a  body  has  ter 
jest  scratch  f'r  a  livin',  —  an'  mighty  mean  livin'  at 
that." 

Her  listener  glanced  at  the  comfortably  spread 
table,  the  blazing  fire,  and  homely  conveniences  of 
the  room,  and  smiled  indulgently.  "  I  don't  suppose 
any  one  would  be  likely  to  make  a  fortune  by  farm 
ing  here,"  he  admitted,  "  but  there  are  plenty  of 
other  things  that  an  enterprising  man  might  go  into 
besides  cultivating  the  land.  There 's  some  fine 
granite  here,  and  —  " 

"  Don't  say  '  granite  '  in  this  neighborhood,  f'r  the 


A  Neighborly  Body  57 

land  sakes !  "  and  the  widow  held  up  both  floury 
hands  in  horrified  deprecation.  "  Diggin'  granite 
come  pretty  nigh  bein'  the  ruination  of  us  all.  It 
was  Squire  Hadlock's  scheme,  but  some  men  from 
New  Hampsheer  put  'im  up  to  it  in  the  first  place. 
That  back  pastur'  o'  his  is  a  master  place  for  that 
kind  o'  stun,  an'  he  got  up  a  company  an'  under 
took  to  work  it.  It  was  all  pay  out  an'  no  pay  in, 
till  everybody  got  discouraged  an'  give  it  up  as  a 
bad  bargain.  I  don't  s'pose  there  ever  was  a  more 
disapp'inted  man  than  the  Squire,  for  he  'd  lotted  on 
making  a  fortune  out  o'  that  pastur',  an'  naterally 
them  that  lost  by  it  laid  all  the  blame  on  him,  so  he 
had  cusses  as  well  as  losses  to  bear." 

"  That  was  hard  on  him,"  assented  the  artist  ab 
sently,  and  as  he  took  his  seat  at  the  table  in  obedi 
ence  to  the  widow's  hint  that  "  time  an'  tide  an' 
buckwheat  cakes  wait  for  no  man,"  he  wondered  in 
an  indifferent,  idle  fashion  if  that  rough,  picturesque 
strip  of  land  sloping  down  to  the  sandy  beach,  and 
backed  by  the  near  grove  of  "  lady "  birches,  of 
which  he  had  only  the  day  before  made  a  charming 
study,  could  be  the  scene  of  the  Squire's  discom 
fiture.  He  had  noticed  the  signs  of  an  old  quarry, 
and  — 

Just  here  his  meditations  were  interrupted  by 
Tabby,  who  burst  into  the  room,  her  sunbonnet  fly 
ing  by  the  strings,  and  her  rosy  face  fairly  purple 
with  excitement. 

"  Oh,  ma !  They  're  havin'  the  awfulest  time  down 
to  the  Hadlocks.  Somethin'  's  killed  all  the  Squire's 
Dorkin  chickens,  an'  Jotham  's  laid  it  to  Granny 


58  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Hedvig's  cat  that  she  got  Comfort  to  take  care  of 
while  she  was  away  f  r  a  week.  The  Squire  's  mad  as 
a  hatter,  an*  swears  he  '11  have  the  cat's  life,  an' 
Jotham,  he  's  all  ready  f  r  the  job,  —  got  a  rope  ready 
to  hang  'er  with,  —  but  Comfort 's  got  'er  all  cuddled 
up  in  her  apron,  an'  won't  give  'er  up.  Mis'  Had- 
lock  's  cryin',  an'  the  Squire  's  jawin',  an'  the  boys 
are  laughin'  an'  eggin'  Jotham  on.  I  should  n't 
wonder  a  mite  if  Comfort  had  a  fit  or  somethin', 
she  's  that  white  an'  trembly." 

The  widow  laid  down  her  knife  and  fork,  and, 
rising,  wiped  her  mouth  deliberately  upon  the  roller 
towel,  and  as  she  took  her  trusty  sunbonnet  from  its 
nail  behind  the  door,  she  remarked  resolutely: 

"  I  ain't  one  to  shirk  a  dooty,  an'  it 's  plain  ter  be 
seen  that  somebody  ought  ter  interfere  in  this  case. 
The  Squire  's  a  dretful  masterful  man,  an'  Mis'  Had- 
lock  's  clever,  but  she  ain't  got  no  more  backbone  to 
'er  than  a  tow  string.  To  be  sure,  Comfort 's  pretty 
gritty,  but  she  's  been  put  upon  ever  since  she  was 
born,  by  the  whole  lot  of  'em,  an'  it 's  tough  work 
holdin'  'er  own  with  all  of  'em  ag'in'  'er.  You  see  to 
the  breakfast." 

The  conclusion  of  her  remarks  were  intended  for 
the  special  benefit  of  Tabby,  who,  thus  defrauded  of 
the  privilege  of  accompanying  her  mother  on  her 
neighborly  mission,  took  a  truly  feminine  revenge 
upon  the  innocent  boarder  by  serving  his  buckwheats 
upon  the  coldest  plate  she  could  find,  and  putting  the 
scant  allowance  of  cream  into  her  own  instead  of  his 
coffee,  while  she  kept  up  a  grumbling  accompani 
ment  to  every  mouthful : 


A  Neighborly  Body  59 

"  Ma 's  always  hankerin'  to  get  her  fingers  into 
other  folks's  pies,  an'  f'r  my  part,"  with  an  aggrieved 
sniff,  and  a  vicious  shove  of  the  butter  plate  towards 
the  boarder's  end  of  the  table,  "  I  don't  care  if  she 
gets  'em  scorched  this  time." 

Neither  did  the  boarder,  for  that  matter. 


CHAPTER  VII 

"A  DANIEL  COME  TO  JUDGMENT" 

AS  Tabby  had  intimated,  there  was  a  terrible 
commotion  going  on  in  the  Hadlock  farmhouse, 
or  rather  in  its  dooryard,  for  the  real  scene  of  the 
contention  was  there,  right  in  the  fore-front  of  the 
desolated  coop,  whose  three  ghastly  occupants  were 
laid  decently  side  by  side  upon  a  pile  of  chip  dirt,  all 
their  pretty  feathers  ruffled  and  ragged,  and  those 
budding  topnots  that  had  been  the  pride  of  their  own 
and  their  owners'  hearts,  trailing  helplessly  in  the 
dust. 

That  Dame  Hedvig's  cat  had  been  suspected  of  the 
murder  was  due  entirely  to  the  zeal  and  sagacity  of 
Jotham,  who  declared  with  much  show  of  reason  that 
nothing  smaller  than  Frigga  could  have  overcome 
such  well-grown  chicks;  adding,  in  confirmation  of 
his  theory,  that  he  had  himself  heard  a  suspicious 
noise  in  the  henhouse  towards  morning,  and  looking 
from  his  window  had  seen, —  indistinctly  of  course, 
in  the  dim,  gray  light, —  a  creature  he  would  almost 
swear  was  Frigga,  stealing  away  toward  the  shed 
where  a  bed  had  been  made  for  her  by  Comfort. 
The  Squire  in  his  anger  had  been  only  too  ready  to 
accept  this  circumstantial  evidence  against  the  stran 
ger,  and,  hasty  as  usual,  instantly  ordered  Jotham  to 
kill  her  without  further  parley. 


"A  Daniel  Come  to  Judgment"      61 

"  She  had  n't  even  the  excuse  of  hunger,"  he 
declared  with  a  wrathful  glance  at  poor  puss,  who, 
unsuspicious  of  danger,  had  just  come  out  lazily 
blinking  her  sleepy  eyes,  to  see  what  all  the  uproar 
was  about,  "  for  she  has  n't  eaten  so  much  as  a  wing. 
It  was  pure  deviltry."  And  Frigga  purred  compla 
cently,  and  rubbed  her  glossy  side  against  his  trou 
sers'  leg,  all  unmindful  of  the  terrible  fate  hanging 
over  her. 

A  kick  rewarded  her  civilities,  and  Jotham  made  a 
grab  at  her  at  the  same  instant,  but  luckily  missed 
his  mark,  and  in  another  moment  Comfort  had  her  in 
her  arms,  and  with  her  apron  wrapped  protectingly 
about  her,  faced  them  all  with  a  resolute,  set  face, 
that  Jotham  at  least  knew  meant  "  war  to  the 
knife." 

"You  sha' n't  touch  Frigga,"  she  cried,  as  Jotham 
made  a  feint  of  snatching  the  cat  from  her,  "  Granny 
trusted  her  to  me,  and  I  won't  let  anybody  hurt  her." 

"  But  father  says,"  began  Jotham,  while  the  Squire 
interrupted  with  a  stern  "  Give  Jotham  that  cat,  Com 
fort,  this  minute  !  She  's  killed  three  of  my  biggest 
Leg'orns,  an'  I  '11  make  sure  that  she  don't  kill  no 
more  of  'em.  Put  'er  down,  I  say  !  " 

Comfort  grew  white  to  her  very  lips,  but  she  held 
the  frightened  creature  all  the  closer. 

"  She  never  touched  the  chickens,  I  know,  father," 
she  insisted. 

Then  with  a  pleading  look  that  few  fathers  would 
have  had  the  heart  to  resist,  "  Don't  let  him  hurt  her, 
please.  Granny  trusted  her  to  me,  and  I  promised 
to  take  good  care  of  her.  I  can't  let  her  be  killed." 


62  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Here  Mrs.  Hadlock,  almost  as  much  distressed  as 
her  child,  timidly  interposed  with  an  argument  that 
she  thought  might  possibly  influence  her  angry 
spouse : 

"  You  don't  want  to  do  anything  that  '11  make  hard 
feelin's,  father.  You  know  the  old  woman  makes  a 
perfect  pet  of  the  cat,  and  she  '11  lay  it  up  against  us 
as  long  as  she  lives  if  we  should  kill  it." 

"  It 's  her  witch-cat,"  broke  in  David,  who  was  of 
a  superstitious  turn,  and  had  perhaps  a  little  secret 
enjoyment  of  the  bold  stand  that  his  small  sister  was 
taking  against  the  family  tyrant  and  bully,  that 
Jotham  had  long  since  grown  to  be.  "  She  always 
holds  it  in  her  lap  when  she  tells  the  fortune  sticks 
fr  folks ;  an'  Bud  Riley  swears  he  's  seen  'er  ridin'  on 
its  back  through  the  air  on  stormy  nights." 

The  Squire  sniffed,  and  Jotham  grinned  derisively. 

"What  balderdash  !  "  growled  the  old  man.  Then 
assuming  his  most  determined  air,  he  said  sternly, 
"  Now,  Comfort,  I  mean  jest  what  I  say.  You  give 
Jotham  that  cat  before  I  can  count  ten,  or  I  '11  take 
'er  from  ye,  an'  give  you  one  o'  the  worst  whippin's 
that  you  ever  had  in  all  yer  life,  into  the  bargain." 

The  child  looked  up  into  his  face  in  horrified 
amazement.  Indifferent,  unloving,  he  had  always 
been.  She  could  not  remember  in  all  her  life  to  have 
received  a  kiss  or  loving  word  from  him,  but  neither 
had  he  been  severe  or  harsh  in  his  treatment  of  her. 
She  was  an  encumbrance,  the  "one  too  many"  in  the 
family  circle,  and  as  such  he  had  ignored  her  as  far 
as  possible,  but  she  could  not  remember  that  he  had 
ever  laid  his  hand  upon  her  in  anger.  This  was  the 


"A  Daniel  Come  to  Judgment"      63 

first  time  that  he  had  ever  threatened  such  an  indig 
nity,  and  there  was  more  of  astonishment  and  incre 
dulity  than  fear  in  the  look  with  which  she  regarded 
him. 

"But  \promised,  father,"  she  began,  — 

"One  — two  —  " 

"  Oh,  father,  I  can't  let  her  be  killed." 

"  Three  —  four  —  five  —  " 

"  Give  it  here,  an'  stop  yer  foolin' !  " 

But  Friggawas  by  this  time  fully  alive  to  the  situa 
tion,  and  as  Jotham  accompanied  his  words  with  a 
clutch  at  her  undefended  head  she  dealt  him  a  scratch 
that  made  him  spring  back  with  an  exclamation  of 
rage  and  pain. 

"  Darn  the  jade  !  I  '11  pay  ye  f'r  this,"  with  a  grim 
ace  at  the  offending  animal, —  "  I'll  make  yer  hangin' 
a  longer  job  than  you  '11  like." 

Comfort  shuddered,  and  held  her  precious  charge 
still  closer  as  the  terrible  count  went  on. 

"  Six  —  seven  —  " 

"  Look  here,  Squire,  seems  ter  me  yer  havin'  quite 
a  time  here.  What 's  the  rumpus,  hey?  " 

And  the  Widow  Scripture's  faded  sunbonnet  made 
its  appearance  upon  the  scene,  —  fair  as  the  white 
wing  of  an  angel  of  deliverance  in  poor  Comfort's 
eyes,  — while  its  owner,  with  the  most  innocent  air 
imaginable,  contrived  to  place  herself  directly  in  front 
of  the  weeping  child,  thus  partially  screening  her 
from  the  sight  of  her  angry  father,  who,  irritated  as 
he  was  at  the  unexpected  interruption,  could  find  no 
excuse  for  not  giving  a  civil  answer  to  his  neighbor's 
question. 


64  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  That 's  the  trouble,"  he  said  grimly,  with  a  nod 
in  the  direction  of  the  dead  chicks.  "  Three  of  my 
young  Leg'orns  killed,  and  we  Ve  found  out  that 
Granny  Hedvig's  cat  did  the  mischief.  Comfort's  set 
'erself  up  that  she  sha'  n't  be  killed,  but  I  '11  —  " 

"  Land  sakes  alive  !  "  interrupted  the  dame  briskly, 
"you  don't  say  so?  That  cat  kill  them  half-grown 
chicks?  Well,  well!  'Twa'  n't  a  weasel  or  a  skunk 
now,  was  it?  " 

The  bait  took.  "  Of  course  't  wa'  n't,  "  and  Jotham's 
tone  was  hurried  and  a  little  apprehensive.  "  I  Ve 
looked  'em  over  an'  there  ain't  a  mark  of  a  tooth  on 
'em." 

"Not  even  a  cat's  tooth?"  she  asked  shrewdly. 
Then  ignoring  Jotham's  evident  discomfiture,  she 
went  on,  with  a  sly,  reassuring  "  nudge  "  of  the  trem 
bling  child  behind  her:  "Now,  Squire,  let's  take  a 
squint  at  them  dead  chickens.  Like  as  not  they 
wa'  n't  killed  at  all,  —  died  o'  the  gapes,  maybe;  I  've 
heard  o'  sech  things." 

And  as  she  led  the  way,  the  squire,  however  loath, 
could  do  no  less  than  follow  her  lead,  while  the  pro 
cession  was  swelled  by  Mrs.  Hadlock  and  the  boys, 
all  curious  to  see  what  this  novel  coroner's  inquest 
would  prove. 

Very  solemnly  the  widow  inspected  each  fowl  in 
order,  passing  it  to  the  Squire  with  the  significant 
comment: 

"Not  a  tooth  mark  on  this  one." 

And  when  the  examination  was  completed  she 
summed  up  the  result  as  follows : 

"  Necks  wrung,  —  cats    don't  wring  necks  ;   not  a 


"A  Daniel  Come  to  Judgment"      65 

sign  of  a  bite  on  one  of  'em,  —  cats  leave  their  tooth- 
marks  on  what  they  kill;  an'  the  queerest  of  all, 
every  one  o'  them  dead  chickens  is  a  rooster.  Now, 
I  don't  b'lieve  that  a  cat  would  'a'  been  considerate 
enough  ter  pick  out  the  roosters  an'  leave  the 
pullets." 

The  Squire's  grim  features  relaxed  into  a  smile. 

"  I  guess  you  've  got  the  rights  of  it,  neighbor, 
this  time,"  he  said,  "f'r  I  must  say  it  looks  like  a 
piece  o'  mischief  done  with  hands  instead  of  claws 
an'  teeth.  What  you  waitin'  fer?"  turning  sharply 
upon  Jotham,  who,  growing  red  and  white  by  turns, 
stood  the  very  picture  of  guilty  embarrassment  "  Go 
into  yer  breakfast  right  off,  an'  don't  stand  there 
gapin'  like  a  stuck  pig.  We  've  fooled  away  a  good 
half-hour  now,  an'  there's  all  that  rye  ter  git  in 
before  another  rain  comes  on." 

Jotham  waited  for  no  second  orders,  but  as  he 
passed  the  sobbing  child,  who  now  crouched  upon 
the  doorstone,  was  shedding  a  flood  of  glad  yet  silent 
tears  over  her  rescued  charge,  he  bent  down  and 
hissed  sharply  in  her  ear: 

"I've  missed  it  this  time;  but  don't  you  forget, 
I  '11  be  even  with  ye  yet." 

The  child's  blue  eyes  twinkled  saucily  through  her 
tears,  and  the  defiant  smile  that  Jotham  so  hated 
curved  for  an  instant  her  red  lips  as  she  retorted: 

"  Folks  that  dig  pits  for  others  had  better  look  out 
for  themselves." 

Angrily  the  youth  raised  his  brawny  hand,  but 
Comfort  laughingly  dodged  the  blow,  and  hearing 
his  father's  step  close  behind,  he  hurried  into  the 

5 


66  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

house,  with  a  guilty  dread  at  his  heart  lest  the  death 
of  the  chickens  should  be  traced  to  his  own  door,  and 
he  felt  a  still  bitterer  hatred  toward  the  little  sister 
whose  sharp  eyes  had  evidently  penetrated  his  shame 
ful  secret. 

"  If  she  dares  to  tell  tales  about  me  I  '11  make  life 
bitter  fer  'er,"  was  the  evil  thought  that  passed 
through  his  mind  as  he  hastily  devoured  the  smoking 
griddle-cakes  upon  his  plate,  taking  no  note  apparently 
of  the  brisk  chatter  of  the  younger  boys,  who,  delighted 
with  this  divertisement  in  their  quiet  lives,  went  over 
again  and  again  all  the  features  of  that  extraordinary 
barnyard  tragedy  with  many  vague  surmises  as  to  the 
author  of  the  mischief. 

"  Ducky  Welch 's  been  drunk  ever  since  he  got 
home,"  remarked  David,  leisurely  sipping  his  over- 
hot  coffee,  "  an'  I  should  n't  be  a  mite  s'rprised  if  him 
an'  that  Boody  feller  that  he  's  got  so  thick  with 
killed  the  chickens  jest  f'r  mischief." 

"  It 's  lucky  for  Granny  Hedvig  that  she  's  out  of 
the  way  jest  now,"  interrupted  Isaac,  to  whom  the 
name  of  the  drunken  sailor  had  served  as  a  diversion 
from  the  subject  in  hand. 

"Why?" 

Mrs.  Hadlock  had  just  come  in  with  a  fresh  relay 
of  hot  cakes,  and  her  attention  had  been  arrested  by 
the  boy's  significant  words,  which  seemed  to  intimate 
that  some  mischief  was  contemplated  against  the  help 
less  old  dame,  and  now  she  stood  anxiously  awaiting 
the  reply  to  her  question. 

Jotham  frowned  at  the  boy,  and  David  gave  him  a 
sly  pinch  under  the  table ;  but  Isaac,  heartily  resent- 


"A  Daniel  Come  to  Judgment"       67 

ing  the  bullying  that,  as  the  youngest  brother,  he  was 
forced  to  undergo,  was  only  too  glad  to  annoy  them 
by  telling  the  little  he  knew  about  the  matter. 

"Why,  Ducky  Welch,  an'  Tim  Taylor,  an'  that 
Boody  feller  got  her  to  tell  their  fortunes  before  they 
started  on  their  last  voyage.  An'  she  promised  'em 
awful  good  luck,  —  said  they  'd  have  fair  winds,  an' 
a  quick  trip,  an'  somethin'  else  she  promised  'em,  — 
I  don't  jest  know  what  't  was,  —  somethin'  about  a  pot 
of  gold  that  would  make  'em  all  rich  men,  I  b'lieve. 
Anyhow,  it  all  turned  out  to  be  a  lie  from  beginning 
to  end.  They  had  one  or  two  terrible  gales,  —  like 
ter  been  shipwrecked  half  a  dozen  times;  an'  the 
cap'n  was  a  perfect  old  screw,  kep'  'em  on  wormy 
biscuits  an'  rotten  meat,  an'  when  they  was  sick  an' 
could  n't  work  docked  'em  of  their  wages.  They 
swore  if  they  ever  got  home  again  they  'd  pay  the 
old  woman  f'r  cheatin'  'em  so;  an*  I  heard  Ducky 
tell  Jotham  yesterday — " 

"  Come,  come !  It 's  time  we  was  off,"  and  the 
Squire,  who  had  paid  little  or  no  heed  to  the  boys' 
chatter,  pushed  back  his  chair  with  an  impatient 
gesture,  and  hurried  off  to  the  scene  of  the  day's  toil, 
his  boys  following  with  more  or  less  reluctance ;  only 
Isaac,  who  was  a  born  gossip,  lingered  a  moment 
to  reply  to  a  question  from  his  mother. 

"  Duck  'er,  most  likely.  That 's  what  Boody  told 
Jotham  he  'd  like  to  do." 

As  their  footsteps  died  away  and  Comfort  and  her 
mother  had  leisure  and  room  to  sit  down  to  their 
own  breakfast,  Mrs.  Hadlock  asked  anxiously : 

"  When  are  Granny  and  Franz  coming  home?  " 


68  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  To-morrow  or  next  day.  Granny  was  to  have  a 
week's  spinning  for  Mis'  Cap'n  Hanley,  and  three 
days  for  the  Seabirds." 

As  she  spoke  she  stooped  to  smooth  Frigga's  soft 
back,  to  which  the  grateful  animal  responded  with  a 
low,  confidential  purr  that  did  n't  seem  to  interfere  in 
the  least  with  her  enjoyment  of  the  saucer  of  rich, 
creamy  milk  with  which  her  little  hostess  had  sup 
plied  her. 

Mrs.  Hadlock  looked  worried  and  doubtful. 

"  I  wish  Mis'  Scripture  had  n't  been  in  such  a 
hurry  to  get  back  home,"  she  said  with  the  natural 
instinct  that  prompts  a  weak,  dependent  nature  to 
turn  to  a  more  resolute  one  in  any  sudden  per 
plexity. 

"  What  Isaac  said  about  them  wild  sailors'  threats 
worries  me.  They  don't  reverence  either  God  or 
man,  and  they  'd  think  't  was  a  good  joke  to  scare 
an'  like  as  not  half-drown  that  poor  old  body,  just 
for  a  mad  frolic.  An'  she  ain't  got  no  men  folks 
round  the  house  to  defend  her  if  worse  comes  to 
worst." 

Comfort's  childish  cheek  grew  pale,  but  she  tried 
to  reassure  herself  as  well  as  her  mother  with  the 
reminder: 

"  Why,  there  's  Franz.  He  'd  die  before  he  'd  let 
anybody  hurt  Granny." 

"  But  he  's  only  a  boy,"  and  Mrs.  Hadlock  sighed. 
"  An'  those  drunken  rascals  might  kill  them  both  if 
their  blood  was  up,  without  really  meanin'  it,  either. 
If  she  only  would  stay  away  until  after  their  ship 
sails,  I  should  be  so  thankful." 


"A  Daniel  Come  to  Judgment"       69 

Comfort  said  nothing,  but  she  privately  determined 
to  put  Franz  upon  his  guard  as  soon  as  he  should 
reach  home,  and  meanwhile  she  must  keep  her  own 
eyes  and  ears  open  for  any  chance  hint  that  the  boys, 
whom  she  strongly  suspected  of  complicity  in  the 
plot,  might  let  fall. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

"LOTS    WHICH    I,   A    BOY,    CAST    IN    THE    HELM    OF 
FATE  " 

THE  artist's  visit  to  Granny's  cottage  was  the 
first  of  many,  and  before  the  season  was  over 
the  two  —  the  quaint,  dreamy  old  dame,  wise  in 
Nature's  hidden  secrets,  yet  simple  as  a  child  in  the 
ways  of  the  great  world,  and  the  thoughtful,  beauty- 
loving  man  whose  life  mission  was  to  interpret  to 
duller  lives  and  hearts  the  grand  and  beautiful  mys 
teries  of  mountain,  lake,  and  sea — had  become,  in 
the  best  sense  of  the  word,  friends.  That  special  gift 
which  Nature  bestows  with  such  motherly  impartiality 
upon  the  poor  and  humble  quite  as  often  as  upon  the 
fortunate,  favored  ones  of  earth,  of  a  quick  and  sub 
tile  apprehension  of  what  others  strive  to  express  by 
pencil  and  song,  was  wonderfully  developed  in  the 
solitary  old  woman,  who,  without  a  knowledge  of  the 
simplest  rules  of  art  was  yet  so  quick  to  feel  the 
beauty  that  her  own  hand  had  not  the  skill  to  por 
tray,  that  there  was  inspiration  even  in  the  smile  that 
lighted  up  her  intelligent  face  when  some  familiar 
spot  that  she  had  long  known  and  loved  glowed  in 
living  beauty  upon  the  painter's  canvas. 

To  the  artist  it  was  an  actual  disappointment  that 
Franz  could  not  share  his  grandmother's  enthusiasm 


"Lots  which  I,  a  Boy,  Cast"         71 

for  landscape  painting.  They  were  "  pretty,"  the 
boy  acknowledged,  and  he  "  liked  to  see  them,"  but 
that  was  all ;  nothing  of  the  artistic,  of  the  soul- 
sight  with  which  Granny  was  endowed,  and  at  first 
the  artist  set  him  down  as  a  well-meaning,  but  unin 
teresting  clown.  For  the  old  dame's  sake  he  had 
often  employed  him  as  a  guide  on  his  sketching 
excursions,  and  it  was  due  to  this  close  companion 
ship  that  he  gradually  came  to  modify  his  first  harsh 
judgment,  and  to  respect  the  sterling  good  sense  and 
manly  self-respect  that  seemed  to  know  as  by  intui 
tion  not  only  what  was  due  to  others,  but  to  himself 
as  well. 

With  the  sturdy  virtues  of  his  race,  Franz  had 
been  of  course  more  or  less  influenced  in  his  ideas 
of  life  and  its  uses  by  the  atmosphere  about  him,  — 
the  practical,  unimaginative  atmosphere  of  early 
New  England  life.  Moreover,  from  his  childhood 
the  boy  had  felt  the  pinch  of  poverty,  and  had 
looked  forward  with  eager  longing  for  the  day  when 
he  should  be  old  and  strong  enough  to  take  upon  his 
own  young  shoulders  the  burden  that  his  grand 
mother  had  hitherto  borne  so  cheerfully  and  willingly 
for  both.  Thus  the  thought  that,  with  the  gen 
erous  recompense  made  him  for  his  services  as  guide, 
he  could  add  many  a  needed  comfort  to  the  poor 
little  home  before  the  cold  winter  should  be  upon 
them,  made  his  long  tramps  by  forest  and  shore 
doubly  delightful,  for,  absorbed  in  his  work,  the  artist 
little  dreamed  of  the  pleasure  that  the  shy,  silent  boy 
found  in  listening  for  the  first  time  to  the  correct 
speech  and  intelligent  conversation  of  a  really  re- 


72  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

fined,  educated  gentleman.  In  his  own  mind  he 
wondered  sometimes  that  this  man,  who  seemed 
to  his  simple  comprehension  to  know  everything, 
should  be  content  to  spend  his  life  in  painting  pic 
tures  when  he  might  be  out  in  the  world,  doing  some 
great  work  for  it  and  himself.  But  he  wisely  kept  his 
thoughts  to  himself,  and  the  artist  dreamed  as  little 
of  his  admiration  as  of  his  dispraise. 

It  was  the  week  following  the  episode  related  in 
our  last  chapter  that  the  artist,  with  Franz  for  a  guide 
and  companion,  had  betaken  himself  to  a  retired 
nook  near  the  shore  and  under  the  lee  of  a  huge 
granite  boulder,  where  the  autumn  sunshine  lay 
warm  and  bright,  and  the  ferns  and  trailing  partridge 
vines  were  as  fresh  and  untouched  by  the  frost  as  in 
midsummer.  There  was  no  brook  here  for  Franz  to 
fish  for  trout  in,  and  the  artist  as  he  arranged  his 
traps  wondered  casually  what  the  lad  would  find  to 
occupy  himself  with.  He  noticed  that,  for  the  first 
time,  he  had  sticking  from  the  pocket  of  his  rough 
pea-jacket  an  old  and  well-thumbed  book,  — "  One 
of  the  old  dame's  '  sagas',  most  likely,"  he  thought 
carelessly,  and  then  dismissing  both  boy  and  book 
from  his  mind,  he  was  soon  absorbed  in  his  own 
fascinating  toil. 

Higher  and  higher  crept  the  sun,  and  industri 
ously  the  artist's  hand  sketched  line  by  line  the 
sharp,  uncertain  outlines  of  the  peaks  towering  in 
the  dim  distance,  sharp  and  splintered  from  some 
long  ago  wrestle  with  the  terrible  force  chained 
down  in  the  hot  heart  of  the  earth  to-day,  adding  a 
touch  here  and  deepening  a  shadow  there,  while  with 


"Lots  which  I,  a  Boy,  Cast"         73 

equal  industry  and  preoccupation  the  sunburned  lad, 
stretched  at  full  length  upon  the  sand  with  his  open 
book  beside  him,  and  a  little  heap  of  sand  and 
pebbles  that  he  had  built  up  for  his  experiments,  ar 
ranged,  rearranged,  and  made  a  series  of  liliputian 
tunnels  in  every  direction  with  careful,  steady  hand, 
heedless  that  the  first  wave  higher  than  its  fellows 
would  be  sure  to  wash  it  all  away. 

"  There,  by  George !     I  've  got  it." 

The  artist  looked  up  in  surprise  and  laughed  at 
the  boy's  flushed,  excited  face. 

"What  is  it?"  he  asked  curiously,  rising  from  his 
seat  to  look  at  the  boy's  work.  "  What  in  the  world 
have  you  been  trying  to  study  out,  here?  " 

"  How  to  make  a  road  through  a  mountain  to  save 
going  over  it." 

And  Franz  rubbed  his  damp  forehead  until  his 
sandy  foretop  bristled  like  the  aureole  about  the 
heads  of  some  of  those  ugly  old  saints  that  one  is 
expected  to  go  into  raptures  over  in  foreign  cathe 
drals.  Rather  surprised  and  a  good  deal  interested, 
the  good-natured  artist  examined  the  ingenious 
model  and  listened  with  intelligent  comprehension  to 
the  crude  theory  that  in  his  boyish  enthusiasm  Franz 
felt  sure  that  he  had  demonstrated  the  feasibility  of. 

"You  see  they  might  make  holes  —  " 

"  Shafts." 

"  Yes,  that 's  what  this  calls  'em;"  and  he  con 
sulted  with  an  air  of  implicit  confidence  the  columns 
of  a  tattered  newspaper  that  he  had  taken  from  his 
pocket,  and  carefully  unfolded  with  tender  care  for 
its  dilapitated  condition.  "  Yes,  they  might  make 


74  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

shafts  here  and  there  all  the  way  acrost  the  top  of 
the  mountain  to  let  the  air  in,  (you  see  I  Ve  made 
mine  in  this  sand-heap  just  so  far  apart)  and  they 
could  let  the  light  in,  too,  in  the  same  way.  I  should 
think,"  with  boyish  complacency,  "  that  a  road  like 
that  would  pay  for  itself  in  a  little  while." 

"  That  would  depend  upon  situation  and  the  cost 
of  construction,  with  many  other  things  that  a  practi 
cal  engineer  would  have  to  take  into  consideration. 
But  how  came  you  to  think  about  it,  anyway?" 

The  boy  colored  bashfully.  It  was  evident  that  he 
had  hitherto  kept  this  dream  of  his  life  a  secret. 

"  Well,  I  always  liked  to  study  into  these  things, 
and  this  book  that  used  to  be  my  father's,"  touching 
reverently  with  one  bare  toe  the  old  volume  lying  on 
the  sand,  "  gives  a  good  many  ideas  about  roads  and 
bridges,  and  things  of  that  sort.  Then  a  year  or  so 
ago  one  o'  them  sports  that  come  here  fishin'  f 'r  a 
spell  every  spring  left  this  paper  layin'  round,  and  I 
found  it  and  read  in  it  somethin'  about  a  tunnel  that 
they're  talkin'  about  through  the  Alps,  (the  same 
mountain,  you  know,  that  Bonnypart  had  sech  a 
time  crossin'),  and  I  Ve  been  chewin'  on  it  ever  since, 
and  tryin'  to  figger  out  how  they  '11  fetch  it." 

Only  a  simple,  rustic  country  lad,  but  evidently 
one  of  ideas, —  crude  and  unformed  of  course,  but 
with  the  possibilities  that  brains  always  insure  their 
possessors  whether  circumstances  allow  of  their  de 
velopment  or  not.  The  kindly  artist  had  not  the 
heart  to  throw  cold  water  upon  the  boy's  innocent 
enthusiasm,  and  yet  how,  with  his  poverty  and  ig 
norance  of  men  and  the  world  generally,  could  he 


"Lots  which  I,  a  Boy,  Cast'*         75 

obtain  the  necessary  instruction  to  make  his  natural 
gifts  profitable?  Still  there  was  no  disputing  the  fact 
that  even  this  imperfect  and  rude  plan  showed  a  re 
markable  aptitude,  a  real  genius  for  engineering  that 
might,  if  properly  trained,  make  Dame  Hedvig's 
grandson  one  of  the  foremost  engineers  of  his  day. 

Mr.  Humbre  said  little  at  the  time,  but  he  took 
occasion  on  his  next  visit  at  the  cottage  to  speak 
of  the  matter  and  urge  upon  the  old  dame  the  desir 
ableness  of  the  boy  being  allowed  to  follow  his  natu 
ral  bent  by  accepting  a  place  as  apprentice  in  a  large 
iron  foundry,  with  the  proprietor  of  which  he  him 
self  had  a  personal  acquaintance  that  would  probably 
insure  any  protege  of  his  a  situation. 

"  It  would  be  a  good  school  for  him,"  he  urged, 
"  and  after  the  first  two  years  he  could  be  earning 
enough  so  that  he  could  save  up  something  to  help 
him  complete  his  engineering  studies.  It  is  no  kind 
ness  to  a  youth  to  make  his  preparation  for  his  life- 
work  too  easy  for  him.  We  all  prize  most  that  which 
we  work  the  hardest  for." 

But  the  old  woman  listened  with  a  dissatisfied,  not 
to  say  disgusted  face.  In  her  utter  ignorance  of  the 
rapid  strides  that  mechanical  science  was  making  in 
the  world  outside,  the  idea  of  her  freedom-loving  boy 
being  tied  down  to  the  drudgery  of  the  forge  and 
workshop  was  peculiarly  distasteful.  If,  like  his  bold 
viking  ancestors,  he  had  longed  to  follow  the  sea, 
and  win  fame  and  fortune  upon  its  fraternal  bosom, 
she  would  have  bid  him  godspeed  and  have  cheer 
fully  borne  the  loneliness  of  her  solitary  life  without 
a  word  of  complaint.  But  to  devote  himself  in  all 


76  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  energy  and  strength  of  his  young  manhood  to 
anything  so  prosaic,  so  different  from  anything  that 
she  had  planned  for  him,  was  too  disappointing  to  be 
contemplated  for  a  moment,  and  with  a  querulous- 
ness  in  sharp  contrast  with  her  usual  sunny  good  na 
ture  she  blamed  their  new  friend  for  encouraging 
such  absurd  fancies  in  the  lad. 

"  He  shall  be  no  smith,  no  worker  in  grimy  iron, 
my  brave  boy.  It  is  fit  work  only  for  the  dwarfs  and 
mountain  elves,  this  stealing  of  the  iron  from  the  dark 
bosom  of  the  earth  and  hammering  at  it  day  after 
day,  hidden  from  the  sunshine,  over  some  choking 
forge  fire.  My  Franz  has  lived  all  his  life  in  the  free 
air  and  the  sunshine,  and,  please  the  good  God,  he 
shall  live  there  till  he  die." 

"  But,"  urged  her  friend,  with  an  adroit  turning  of 
the  tables  that  made  her  smile  in  spite  of  herself, 
"  when  you  despise  the  smith's  calling  you  forget 
that  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  Norse  gods,  the 
mighty  Thor,  was  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  hammer. 
Don't  let  your  prejudices  stand  in  the  way  of  the 
boy's  real  good.  To  be  sure,  he  will  have  to  begin 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  and  work  his  way  up 
through  a  good  deal  of  grime,  and  smut,  and  hard 
labor.  But  if  he  has  the  brains  and  the  will,  —  as  I 
believe  he  has,  —  to  use  the  practical  knowledge  that 
he  will  get  in  his  years  of  apprenticeship,  he  may 
make  a  good  place  for  himself  in  the  world.  In  these 
days,  when  railroads  are  being  stretched  over  the 
country  in  every  direction,  a  man  of  ability  in  that 
line  has  the  chance  to  make  himself  rich,  and  famous 
in  his  specialty.  The  world,"  he  added,  with  a  sigh, 


"Lots  which  I,  a  Boy,  Cast"          77 

"  is  far  better  pleased  to  honor  the  man  who  adds  to 
its  comforts  and  conveniences,  than  he  who  spends 
a  lifetime  trying  to  elevate  and  ennoble  it." 

To  Franz,  the  prospect  of  a  chance  to  devote  him 
self  to  the  work  that  had  so  strange  a  fascination  for 
him  made  him  almost  beside  himself  for  joy,  and  for 
the  first  time  in  his  life  he  listened  with  impatience  to 
his  grandmother's  pleadings,  vexed  and  mortified  to 
find  the  calling  that  seemed  to  him  the  grandest  and 
most  alluring  in  the  world  treated  as  something  be 
neath  even  a  poor  boy  like  himself. 

"  You  don't  know,  Granny,"  he  persisted,  in  reply 
to  her  advocacy  of  a  seafaring  life,  "  what  the  life  of  a 
common  sailor  now-a-days  is.  Them  fierce,  free  old 
sea-kings  that  you  know  about,  sailed  where  they 
pleased,  and  did  as  they  was  a  mind  to  after  they  got 
there.  But  that  time  has  gone  by,  and  sailors  now 
get  kicks  an'  cuffs,  and  like  as  not  are  half  starved  on 
mouldy  bread  and  poor  meat,  with  just  pay  enough 
to  keep  soul  and  body  together.  If  that 's  what  you 
call  a  '  free  life  on  the  broad,  blue  sea,'  I  must  say 
I  'd  ruther  steer  clear  of  it." 

The  dame  caught  her  breath  with  something  like  a 
sob,  and  slowly  twisted  the  linen  thread  between  her 
deft  fingers  with  an  absent,  preoccupied  air.  It  was 
evident  that  the  boy  was  a  boy  no  longer.  That  one 
bright,  bewildering  glance  into  a  possible  future  had 
brought  to  sudden  maturity  a  host  of  manly  plans 
and  purposes  that  the  careless,  undirected  life  of  the 
little  woodland  home  would  no  longer  satisfy.  The 
young  bird  had  found  that  there  was  a  great  world 
outside  its  own  nest,  and  an  instinct  that  would  not 


78  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

be  repressed  prompted  it  to  try  its  wings  for  a  higher 
and  wider  flight. 

Poor  granny !  She  had  not  looked  for  this  so  soon, 
and  the  tender,  brooding  love  in  her  woman's  breast 
fluttered  painfully  in  an  unavailing  protest  against 
that  which  reason  told  her  was  inevitable  and  might 
be  —  she  would  try  very  hard  to  think  so  —  the  very 
best  thing  for  her  nursling,  after  all.  And  so  the  old 
story  of  woman's  love  and  sacrifice : 

"  to  nurse,  to  rear, 
To  love  and  then  to  lose," 

was  lived  over  again  in  the  humble  cottage,  and  the 
boy,  who  for  sixteen  years  had  been  the  light  and  joy 
of  that  lonely  woman's  life  went  out,  —  with  as  brave 
a  heart,  as  true  a  purpose,  and  as  high  a  hope,  to  bat 
tle  with  and  overcome  the  forces  that  poverty  and 
inexperience  must  meet  in  a  selfish,  indifferent  world, 
as  any  mail-clad  knight  of  old  who  sought  to  win 
name  and  fortune  with  the  warlike  sword,  rather  than 
the  peaceful  hammer. 

"  It  shall  be  all  for  you,  granny  dear,"  were  his 
parting  words.  "  We  '11  have  a  beautiful  home  one 
of  these  days,  all  our  own  too,  where  your  tired  fin 
gers  shall  never  have  to  spin  any  more,  and  where 
we  '11  be  together  always." 

"  Yes,  always." 

And  far  beyond  her  tear-blinded  vision  the  lonely 
old  woman  saw  that  dream  fulfilled,  and  that  beautiful 
home  where  toil  and  care  are  not,  and  partings  shall 
be  no  more,  the  thrice  blessed  rest  of  God's  own 
house. 


CHAPTER    IX 

"  ALACK,  I   HAVE  NO   EYES  " 

THE  lingering  autumn  crept  slowly  into  winter 
and  the  little  hamlet  settled  down  contentedly 
to  the  quiet  and  isolation  that  was  the  inevitable  lot 
of  the  Island  folk  at  that  inclement  season.  Every 
bit  of  news,  no  matter  how  unimportant,  was  hailed 
with  eagerness  as  a  ripple  upon  the  dead  sea  of  exis 
tence  at  that  time,  and  this  was  perhaps  the  reason 
why  the  mad  pranks  of  the  sailor  lads,  who  still  hung 
about,  waiting  for  the  opening  of  the  spring  to  ship 
for  another  cruise,  were  regarded  with  more  leniency 
than  usual,  —  more,  in  fact,  than  they  deserved. 

It  is  rather  amusing  to  hear  of  midnight  raids  upon 
our  neighbor's  hen  roosts  so  long  as  our  own  remain 
untouched,  and  if  the  old  finger-post  was  torn  down 
and  buried  in  some  secret  place  under  the  snow  it 
was  no  great  matter  after  all.  Everybody  in  those 
parts  knew  the  way  to  Somesville  without  its  aid,  and 
if  by  any  chance  a  stranger  should  wander  that  way, 
why,  any  boy  in  the  town  could  direct  him.  To  be 
sure,  the  sedate  farm  and  fisher  folk  listened  with 
decorous  displeasure  to  the  stories  rife  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  the  midnight  orgies  down  to  McNeal's 
disreputable  shanty;  and  many  a  timid  housewife, 
whose  goodman  was  away  at  sea,  was  careful  for  the 
first  time  in  her  life  to  see  that  her  doors  and  windows 


8o  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

were  securely  fastened  at  night;  while  bolder  souls, 
like  the  Widow  Scripture,  took  care  to  have  it  under 
stood  that  a  gun  loaded  with  buckshot  was  in  readi 
ness  for  any  untimely  invader  of  their  premises.  One 
thing,  strangely  enough,  the  good  people  seemed  to 
have  overlooked,  or  to  have  counted  as  of  small  con 
sequence,  and  that  was  the  ill  effect  of  such  dissolute 
companionship  upon  their  own  boys.  Even  Squire 
Hadlock  would  listen  with  ill-concealed  amusement 
to  jests  and  stories,  repeated  at  second  hand  by  the 
boys,  that  were  coarse  and  irreverent,  not  to  say  pro 
fane  ;  while  in  reply  to  his  wife's  timid  reminders  of 
the  evils  that  might  come  from  such  companionship 
he  only  replied  with  his  usual  scornful  self-confidence 
that: 

"  The  boys  are  no  molly  coddles,  to  be  tied  to  their 
mother's  apron  string  all  their  lives.  Let  them  mix 
with  all  kinds  of  folks,  —  't  will  toughen  their  morals, 
just  as  all  kinds  of  weather  has  toughened  their 
bodies." 

Poor  Mrs.  Hadlock,  what  could  she  do?  She  had 
a  mother's  tender  solicitude  for  her  rude,  often  un 
feeling  boys,  and  many  a  night  she  lay  awake  into 
the  "  wee  sma'  hours,"  listening  for  Jotham's  stealthy 
footfall  upon  the  stairs,  or  Isaac's  silly  laugh  and 
chatter  that  told  only  too  plainly  how  his  evening 
had  been  spent,  and  where.  For  Comfort,  too,  the 
winter  brought  new  anxieties  and  cares,  and  even 
her  mother  little  dreamed  how  heavy  was  the  weight 
resting  upon  the  child's  uncomplaining  shoulders,  or 
what  sad  forebodings  mingled  continually  with  all  her 
thoughts,  sleeping  or  waking. 


"Alack,  I  have  no  Eyes"  81 

Before  Franz  and  his  artist  friend  left  the  Island, 
the  lad  had  sought  out  his  playmate,  —  his  "  little 
Comfort,"  as  in  the  innocence  of  his  boyish  heart  he 
secretly  styled  her,  and  solemnly  intrusted  his  grand 
mother  to  her  care. 

"  I  Ve  fixed  the  house  all  up,"  he  said,  manfully 
putting  the  best  foot  first,  "  and  the  lean-to  is  full 
of  good,  seasoned  wood,  all  ready  to  burn.  And 
she  's  got  plenty  of  potatoes,  and  fish,  and  rye  meal 
(you  know  she  won't  eat  wheat  flour,)  and  honey, 
and  —  " 

"  Mother  says  I  may  carry  her  a  quart  of  milk 
every  day,"  interrupted  Comfort,  cheerily. 

"Did  she?  That's  real  good  in  her, — just  like 
you,  Comfort.  But  what  I  was  going  to  say  was,  you 
think  a  good  deal  of  Granny,  don't  you?  " 

"  I  guess  I  do,"  and  the  childish  face  glowed 
warmly.  "I  think  more  of  her  than  I  do  of  any 
body  else  in  the  world  except  mother  and — you." 

"  I  thought  so,"  returned  the  lad  honestly,  "  and 
that 's  why  I  took  it  upon  me  to  ask  you  to  look  out 
for  'er  a  little  through  the  winter.  She  can't  get  out 
much  after  the  snow  comes,  an'  I  'm  afraid  she  '11 
get  lonesome  an'  down-hearted  if  you  don't  see  to 
'er  pretty  often.  So  I  'm  going  to  leave  'er  in  your 
care." 

The  child's  eyes  sparkled  with  proud  delight  at 
the  honor  thus  unexpectedly  thrust  upon  her. 

"  I  '11  take  just  as  good  care  of  her  as  you  could  do 
your  own  self,"  she  said  gravely. 

No  noisy  outburst  of  zeal,  no  eager  assertion  of 
her  affection  for  her  friends,  but  there  was  something 

6 


82  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

in  the  steadfast  honesty  of  those  clear,  innocent 
eyes,  a  wordless  promise,  that  went  far  to  set  the 
lad's  anxious  heart  at  rest,  without  further  words. 
To  be  sure  she  was  only  a  child,  young  and  in 
experienced,  and  yet  Franz  never  for  a  moment 
doubted  her  ability  or  faithfulness.  She  was  not 
like  other  girls  of  her  age,  well  meaning  but 
careless  and  changeable.  Where  others  forgot,  she 
remembered,  and  where  they  neglected,  she  never 
failed  to  keep  her  word.  And  knowing  these  things, 
the  boy  placed  the  most  implicit  confidence  in  her 
promise  to  care  for  Granny. 

Mrs.  Hadlock's  permission  for  Comfort  to  make  a 
daily  visit  to  the  cottage  was  easily  obtained,  and 
through  storm  and  shine,  through  untrodden  as  well 
as  beaten  paths,  the  little  maid  with  her  pail  of  new 
milk,  never  failed  each  morning  to  make  her  appear 
ance  at  Granny's  door,  not  seldom  with  permission  to 
spend  the  day  if  the  dame  seemed  less  cheerful  and 
brisk  than  usual. 

At  first  the  absence  of  her  grandson  seemed  to 
make  little  change  in  the  always  cheerful,  blithe  old 
woman.  To  be  sure,  her  letters  from  him  were  few 
and  far  between,  for  postage  was  high  in  those  days, 
and  the  Island  mails  infrequent.  But  she  knew  that 
he  was  pleased  with  his  work,  and  that,  thanks  to  Mr. 
Humbre's  kind  oversight,  he  had  procured  lodgings 
with  a  good  woman  who  was  willing  to  board  him 
for  the  chores  that  he  could  find  time  to  do  after  his 
working  hours. 

"  So  you  see,"  he  wrote,  in  speaking  of  this  arrange 
ment,  "  that  I  can  save  the  allowance  made  me  for 


"Alack,  I  have  no  Eyes"  83 

board  to  send  to  you,  and  in  a  couple  of  years  per 
haps  I  shall  earn  enough  to  bring  you  here,  and  we 
will  have  a  little  home  to  ourselves  once  more." 

Comfort  must  read  this  precious  epistle  aloud  again 
and  again,  until  the  paper  was  so  worn  that  it  would 
scarcely  hold  together,  and  both  dame  and  child 
knew  every  word  of  it  by  heart,  and  had  wondered, 
and  speculated,  and  tried  to  read  between  the  lines 
after  a  fashion  that  would  have  astonished  the  boyish 
writer  not  a  little  could  he  have  overheard  them. 
But  as  the  cold  increased  and  the  wintry  days  grew 
shorter  Comfort's  watchful  eye  detected  a  change  in 
her  old  friend.  There  were  more  often  traces  of 
tears  upon  the  wrinkled  cheeks,  while  the  heavy, 
lack  lustre  eyes  told  their  own  sad  story  of  sleep 
less  nights  and  weary,  lagging  days.  Her  strength, 
too,  began  to  fail,  and  for  hours  at  a  time  she 
would  sit,  listlessly  crouching  in  a  corner  of  the 
wide  stone  fireplace,  sometimes  crooning  to  herself 
snatches  from  some  old  Norse  ballad,  or  with  a  far 
away  look  in  her  tired  eyes,  studying  the  blazing 
embers,  unheedful  of  all  that  the  child  could  do  to 
rouse  her  from  her  abstraction. 

In  vain  Mrs.  Hadlock,  who  was  a  frequent  visitor 
at  the  cottage,  urged  the  need  of  medical  advice. 
Granny  was  obstinate.  No,  she  had  been  her  own 
doctor  all  of  these  years,  and  she  would  have  no 
other  now.  So  Comfort,  under  her  direction,  steeped 
wonderful  mixtures  of  healing  roots  and  herbs,  that 
the  old  woman  dutifully  partook  of,  but  in  an  indif 
ferent,  half-hearted  fashion  that  showed  how  little 
faith  she  really  had  in  their  efficacy.  Sickness  in  a 


84  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

country  neighborhood  is  a  wonderful  humanizer,  and 
many  a  good  housewife  who  had  looked  askance  at 
the  queer  old  Swedish  woman,  who  told  fortunes 
with  a  lot  of  little  sticks,  and  insisted  upon  wearing 
a  handkerchief  over  her  head  even  to  meeting,  now 
hastened  to  proffer  her  services  in  nursing,  and  pro 
viding  for  her  invalid  appetite.  But  to  their  surprise 
and  chagrin  Granny  courteously  declined  all  their 
services,  and  only  Comfort  and  her  mother  were 
allowed  to  minister  to  her  in  her  growing  feebleness. 
To  them  alone  she  spoke  of  the  hopes  that  buoyed 
her  up,  in  anticipation  of  the  rest  and  peace  that 
awaited  her  on  the  other  side. 

"  No  tears  there,"  she  read  from  her  little  Swedish 
Bible,  following  the  dim  text  with  one  trembling 
finger;  "no  sorrow,  no  parting.  Ah,  but  the  good 
God  has  us  in  His  keeping  there  as  here." 

As  her  hold  upon  earth  grew  weaker  it  was  wonder 
ful  to  see  how  the  natural  restlessness  of  her  char 
acter  seemed  hushed  into  a  calm  peacefulness  that 
was  as  far  removed  from  apathy  as  from  fear.  She 
never  complained  now  of  loneliness,  but  her  friends 
never  left  her  long  alone,  and  soon  it  came  to  be  an 
understood  thing,  that  Comfort  should  spend  all  her 
nights  at  the  cottage.  Not  that  any  immediate 
change  was  apprehended,  for  Granny  was  not  even 
confined  to  her  bed,  but  in  her  feeble  state  a  thou 
sand  little  services  were  needed  that  the  child  could 
easily  render,  and,  as  Mrs.  Hadlock  said,  it  "  would 
be  heathenish  to  leave  her  all  alone,  with  not  a  soul 
to  speak  to  if  she  should  want  anything."  Franz's 
old  bunk  in  the  kitchen  recess  had  been  prepared 


"Alack,  I  have  no  Eyes"  85 

for  her,  and  the  scent  of  the  sweet,  springy  pine  tips 
lent  to  her  dreams  a  summer  sweetness  that  they 
never  would  have  known  with  one  of  her  mother's 
fluffy  feather  beds  beneath  her. 

"  I  dreamed  of  the  green  woods  and  wild  roses,  and 
thought  I  was  wading  in  Duck  Brook  all  night  long," 
she  declared  laughingly,  as  Granny,  with  some  anx 
iety,  inquired  on  the  first  morning  after  trial  of  the 
rustic  couch  if  she  had  slept  well.  "  With  my  eyes 
shut  I  smell  the  pine  boughs  and  think  it 's  summer." 

The  cold,  gray  light  of  a  December  morning  was 
just  creeping  in  at  the  white-curtained  window  when 
Comfort  awoke  from  one  of  these  pleasant  dreams  to 
a  realization  that  winter  was  not  gone  yet,  let  dreams 
say  what  they  would,  and  softly  creeping  out  of  bed, 
with  bare  feet  and  hands  tingling  with  cold,  proceeded 
to  rake  open  the  embers  that  she  had  so  carefully 
covered  the  night  before,  and  with  the  skill  of  an  ex 
perienced  fire  builder,  to  place  forestick  and  kindlings 
in  their  proper  order,  filling  in  with  plenty  of  dry 
pine  chips  that  caught  eagerly  as  they  came  in  con 
tact  with  the  glowing  coals,  until  the  whole  blazing 
mass  rushed  roaring  and  snapping  up  the  wide  chim 
ney  throat,  filling  the  rude  little  room  with  an  incense 
as  sweet  and  pure  as  any  that  ever  smoked  upon 
Eastern  altars. 

Hurrying  on  her  clothes,  the  little  housekeeper  be 
stirred  herself  to  fill  the  iron  teakettle,  and  hang  it 
over  the  fire  before  raking  open  a  corner  among  the 
hot  embers  in  which  to  roast  the  potatoes  that  were 
to  serve  for  her  own  breakfast,  while  Granny's  bit  of 
toast  and  cup  of  tea  were  delayed  until  the  sun  had 


86  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

crept  over  the  eastern  hills  and  lay,  a  pale  but  cheer}' 
glint,  upon  the  bare  floor  of  the  kitchen,  then  very 
softly  she  opened  the  door  of  the  inner  room,  and 
as  softly  entered.  Everything  was  as  she  had  left  it 
the  night  before,  the  blue  and  white  coverlet  was  as 
smooth,  the  night  draught  in  just  the  same  spot  on 
the  little  stand  where  she  had  placed  it,  and  from  her 
position  it  was  evident  that  the  old  woman  had 
scarcely  stirred  the  whole  night  long. 

"  Are  you  awake,  Granny?  " 

The  sleeper  started  at  the  sound  of  her  voice,  and 
turning  her  face  toward  her  regarded  her,  as  it  seemed, 
with  a  bewildered  stare. 

"  Do  you  want  your  tea  now,  before  you  get  up  ?  " 
and  she  smoothed  tenderly  the  white  locks  beneath 
the  scarce  whiter  cap  border. 

"Tea?"  The  old  woman  passed  her  hand  uncer 
tainly  over  her  forehead.  "  Why,  no,  not  so  early  as 
this.  I  never  eat  my  breakfast  before  it 's  light,  you 
know." 

Comfort's  face  grew  pale  with  a  strange,  undefined 
terror. 

"  But  it  is  n't  dark,  Granny,  —  it  's  broad  daylight. 
Don't  you  see  the  sunshine  on  your  bed, — there, 
close  to  your  hand?" 

Silently  the  tremulous  old  hand  was  outstretched, 
moving  slowly  over  the  spread  until  beneath  the  patch 
of  sunlight  it  rested  for  an  instant,  then,  joined  by 
its  fellow,  was  uplifted  as  in  supplication. 

"  No,"  quavered  the  low  voice  pitifully,  "  I  can 
feel  the  sunshine,  but  I  can  see  none  of  it.  God's 
pity ! "  and  great  tears  rolled  from  beneath  the 


"Alack,  I  have  no  Eyes"  87 

now  closed  eyelids,  "  It  has  come  at  last,  and  I  am 
blind." 

"  Blind  !  Oh  no,  not  BLIND  !  " 

And  the  child  threw  herself  upon  her  knees  beside 
the  bed,  and  sobbed  frantically;  for  once,  she  had  no 
word  of  comfort  or  hope  to  bestow. 


CHAPTER  X 

"THOUGH   BLIND,   MY   HEART   CAN   SEE" 

FOR  the  first  time,  Granny  that  day  refused  to 
leave  her  bed,  or  taste  the  nourishment  that  her 
little  friend  with  loving  care  had  provided  for  her. 
Her  sudden  blindness  seemed  but  a  part  of  the 
strange  change  that  had  all  at  once  passed  over  her. 
Indeed,  after  the  first  she  made  no  reference  to  it,  but 
babbled  continually  of  the  scenes  and  friends  dear  to 
her  girlhood,  paying  little  or  no  heed  to  Comfort's 
efforts  to  arouse  her  to  a  comprehension  of  present 
needs  and  interests.  The  little  parish  church  in  her 
own  beloved  Norland  village,  decorated  with  green 
boughs  and  flowers  for  her  bridal,  the  music  of  the 
maidenly  choir,  the  grave,  sweet  voice  of  the  old 
parish  priest,  as  he  read  the  quaint  marriage  service, 
—  and  Granny's  weak  tones  grew  stronger  as  she 
repeated  with  a  slow,  uncertain  utterance,  as  of  an 
unaccustomed  reader,  picking  out  word  by  word  with 
laborious  care,  the  printed  page : 

"  I  give  thee  in  marriage  this  damsel,  to  be  thy 
wedded  wife,  in  all  honor,  and  to  share  thy  lock  and 
key,  and  every  third  penny  which  you  two  may  pos 
sess,  or  may  inherit,  and  all  the  rights  which  Upland 
laws  provide,  and  the  holy  King  Erik  gave." 

Wonderingly  the  child  listened,  while,  regardless 
of  her  timid  questionings,  the  old  woman  babbled 


"Though  Blind,  My  Heart  can  See"      89 

on,  —  of  the  gay  bridal  dress,  with  scarlet  bodice,  and 
sleeves  of  snowy  linen  of  her  own  spinning,  the  crown 
of  sweet  wild  roses  and  cypress,  and  the  cherished 
silver  ornaments  that  her  great-great-grandmother 
wore  before  her,  dwelling  with  innocent  vanity  upon 
their  beauty  and  value,  even  as  the  girl  herself  might 
have  done  on  that  happy,  love-blessed  day,  to  which, 
pausing  for  a  moment  upon  the  threshold  of  eternity, 
the  woman  of  seventy  winters  looked  back  as  to  the 
brightest,  sweetest  spot  in  all  her  toilsome,  care-full 
life.  The  sad  things,  the  bereavements  and  disap 
pointments  seemed  to  have  passed  entirely  from  her 
mind,  leaving  only  memories  of  the  brightness  and 
love  that  had  blessed  her  youth,  and  yet  to  her  bewil 
dered  half-frightened  listener  those  softly  murmured 
words  of  tender  endearment  for  one  who  for  half  a 
century  had  been  but  dust  and  ashes  were  more  sad 
to  listen  to  than  any  conscious  outburst  of  grief  could 
have  been. 

Anxiously  as  the  hours  crept  by  the  child  listened 
for  her  mother's  footsteps  at  the  door,  but  she  listened 
and  watched  in  vain.  She  could  not  know  that  a 
nervous  headache  was  holding  her  an  unwilling  pris 
oner  in  her  own  room,  and  that  Isaac,  who  had  been 
despatched  to  the  cottage  soon  after  breakfast  to  see 
that  all  was  well,  had  chosen  to  turn  his  steps  in  an 
exactly  opposite  direction,  leaving  the  errand  undone 
and  in  all  probability  forgotten. 

Now  and  then  Granny  would  arouse  herself  as  if 
from  a  dream,  and  recognizing  the  voice  of  the  weary 
watcher  by  her  bed  would  grope  for  and  stroke 
tenderly  the  trembling  little  hand,  with  a  few  feeble 


90  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

words  of  grateful  acknowledgment  and  affection. 
It  was  in  one  of  these  lucid  intervals  that  Comfort, 
by  much  coaxing,  induced  her  to  drink  the  tea  that 
she  had  kept  hot  for  her  and  which  seemed  for  the 
time  to  revive  and  refresh  her,  so  that  as  the  child 
took  away  the  cup  she  said  in  a  perfectly  natural 
tone: 

"  Look  in  the  till  of  the  big  chest,  my  child,  thou 
wilt  find  the  key  under  my  pillow,  and  bring  to  me 
the  box  with  the  silver  clasps." 

Comfort  obeyed,  and  taking  the  oaken  casket  in 
her  tremulous  hand  the  old  woman  pressed  a  spring, 
thus  making  the  lid  fly  back  and  disclosing  a  set  of 
quaintly  wrought  silver  ornaments,  which  she  drew 
forth  one  by  one,  passing  them  tenderly  between  her 
shrivelled  fingers,  while  a  smile  of  satisfaction  lighted 
up  her  wan  face  as  she  said  softly: 

"  They  are  thine,  my  little  Comfort,  —  thine  only, 
when  I  am  gone." 

The  child's  honest  face  flushed  deeply  with 
embarrassment. 

"  Oh  no,  Granny,  not  mine,  — you  forget  Franz." 

But  the  old  woman  shook  her  head  decidedly. 

"  Nay,  but  they  are  thine,  not  his.  The  runes 
gave  to  him  gold  and  lands,  but  it  was  through  thy 
hand  they  came.  Thy  hand,"  she  repeated  with 
solemn  emphasis,  "  holds  alone  the  good  fortune  for 
my  boy,  and  to  thee  only  may  be  given  these,  that 
the  brides  of  our  house  have  worn  for  so  many 
generations." 

She  held  out  to  her  as  she  spoke  a  small  silver 
cross,  and  with  as  much  awe  as  curiosity  Comfort 


"Though  Blind,  My  Heart  can  See"      91 

took  the  precious  relic  in  her  hand  and  with  a  kind 
of  shy  pleasure,  as  of  one  half  doubtful  of  her  right 
to  do  so,  turned  the  beautiful  bauble  over  and  over 
with  ever-increasing  delight  in  its  wonderful  delicacy 
and  grace.  Even  to  her  unaccustomed  eyes  it  bore 
evidences  of  great  antiquity  and  value.  It  was  of 
solid  silver,  daintily  wrought  with  intertwined  thorns 
and  palm  leaves,  typical  of  the  agony  and  the  triumph 
of  Him  who  suffered  thereon,  while  at  the  base,  an 
emblem  of  that  lingering  heathenism  that  the  Chris 
tianized  Northman  was  so  loath  to  quit  his  hold  of, 
was  a  tiny  hammer,  with  the  familiar  war  cry  of  the 
ancient  vikings,  in  old  Norse  characters: 

"  Thor  aide  !  " 

A  slender,  delicate  chain  of  tiny  silver  links  was 
attached  to  this  heirloom,  and  before  the  child  was 
aware  of  her  intention,  the  old  woman  had  clasped 
this  about  her  neck,  and  unheeding  her  remon 
strances,  had  hidden  it  beneath  the  waist  folds  of  her 
homespun  gown.  Then  evidently  exhausted,  she 
seemed  to  sleep,  and  gathering  up  the  heavy  silver 
ear-rings  and  bracelets  that  still  lay  scattered  upon 
the  bed,  Comfort  replaced  them  in  their  casket,  try 
ing  at  the  same  time  to  unclasp  the  chain  about  her 
own  neck,  that  she  might  add  the  cross  to  the  other 
relics,  and  lock  them  up  safely  until  Granny  should 
have  some  more  rational  ideas  in  regard  to  the  dis 
posal  of  them.  But  there  was  some  trick  in  the 
clasp,  and  try  as  she  would  she  could  not  loosen  it, 
so  with  a  half-guilty  feeling  as  if  she  had  in  some  way 
taken  advantage  of  her  friend's  mental  weakness,  she 
crept  into  the  kitchen,  and  replacing  the  casket  in 


92  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  chest,  which,  in  her  hurry  she  forgot  to  lock,  she 
seated  herself  by  the  window  overlooking  the  path, 
where,  with  ever-increasing  anxiety  she  strained  her 
eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  some  passing  neighbor  to 
whom  she  might  appeal  for  aid  in  her  lonely  vigil. 
But  the  hours  crept  slowly  by  and  not  a  soul  came 
near  the  solitary  cottage,  while  in  the  deathlike  still 
ness  the  child  trembled  and  started  nervously  at  the 
snapping  of  a  spark,  or  even  the  gentle  purring  of 
Frigga  who  lay  curled  up  upon  the  hearth-rug,  only 
raising  her  head  now  and  then  to  glance  at  the  droop 
ing  form  by  the  window,  with  a  look  of  almost  human 
intelligence  in  her  great  green  eyes. 

The  early  winter  night  was  closing  in,  making  the 
dim  forest  vistas  so  dark  that,  strain  her  eyes  as  she 
might,  Comfort  could  not  even  distinguish  the  out 
lines  of  the  white  birches  that  straggled  along  on 
either  side  of  the  way  like  a  procession  of  ragged 
penitents  doing  penance  in  the  conventional  white 
sheet.  The  wind  had  risen  and  whirled  and  twisted 
the  tops  of  the  shivering  trees,  making  a  weird  moan 
ing  through  their  naked  branches,  and  tearing  from 
one  just  outside  the  window  its  latest  relic  of  summer 
joys  in  the  shape  of  a  tiny  bird's  nest,  which  it  flung 
all  battered  and  forlorn  against  the  pane  to  which 
our  anxious  little  watcher's  face  was  pressed.  The 
child  shivered,  and  instinctively  stretched  out  a  pity 
ing  hand  toward  the  poor,  wind-tossed  waif. 

"  Poor  birdies  !  they  won't  find  you  here  when  they 
come  home  in  the  spring,"  she  whispered  softly,  half- 
frightened  at  the  sound  of  her  own  voice  in  the  still 
ness  and  the  gloom.  Then  with  a  vague  intuition  of 


"Though  Blind,  My  Heart  can  See'*      93 

the  near  approach  of  that  mysterious  messenger, 
whose  dark  wings  seemed  even  now  to  be  hovering 
unseen  over  the  humble  threshold,  she  broke  into  a 
passionate  flood  of  weeping.  "  And  I  'm  afraid  you 
won't  find  Granny  here  either,  to  scatter  crumbs,  and 
bits  of  flax  for  your  nest." 

Again  and  again  she  crept  on  tiptoe  into  the  old 
woman's  room,  but  only  to  find  her  still  wrapped  in 
that  quiet  undisturbed  sleep.  Her  face  was  placid 
and  calm,  so  that  it  was  evident  that  she  was  not 
suffering,  although  her  breathing  was  so  faint  that 
only  by  putting  her  ear  close  to  the  pallid  lips  could 
Comfort  be  sure  that  she  really  breathed  at  all. 

Nine,  ten,  eleven,  —  and  the  childish  watcher,  un 
used  to  such  a  long  vigil,  had  fallen  asleep  with  her 
head  upon  the  folded  arms  that  rested  in  their  turn 
upon  the  little  cherry-wood  stand  in  the  shadowy, 
fire-lighted  kitchen.  All  at  once  as  by  a  touch  she 
started  up  wide  awake  and  listened  breathless  with 
terror.  What  could  it  be?  She  clutched  the  stand 
with  both  trembling  hands  and  hushed  her  breathing 
to  catch  the  sound  of  —  what  ? 

The  wind  was  blowing  fiercely,  but  it  was  not  the 
wind  that  made  that  stealthy,  crunching  noise  in  the 
snow,  as  of  heavy  footfalls,  or  the  familiar  groaning 
and  creaking  of  the  tempest-tossed  trees,  that  sub 
dued  murmur  of  human  voices.  In  an  instant  it  all 
came  back  to  her ;  the  half-forgotten  threats  of  those 
rude  sailors  that,  in  the  excitement  of  Franz's  de 
parture  and  her  anxiety  over  Granny's  increasing 
feebleness  had  slipped  her  mind  altogether.  In  a 
drunken  frolic  they  had  come  to  carry  out  their 


94  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

threat  of  vengeance  upon  the  unprotected  old  wo 
man,  and  Comfort  had  just  time  to  spring  to  the  door 
and  slip  the  bolt  into  its  socket  before  a  heavy  blow 
from  the  outside  made  it  tremble,  while  a  rude  voice 
shouted  through  the  midnight  stillness : 

"  Avast  there,  ye  ould  witch !  Open  the  door, 
or,  be  jabbers,  I  '11  brain  ye  wid  yer  own  broom 
stick." 

Ducky  Welch's  voice  had  betrayed  him,  thus  mak 
ing  Comfort's  fears  certainties,  and  in  her  desperation 
a  courage  before  undreamed  of  came  to  her  aid,  and 
putting  her  lips  close  to  the  door  she  called  out  with 
a  calmness  that  surprised  herself: 

"  Go  away,  please.  For  Granny  is  very  sick,  and 
mustn't  be  disturbed." 

A  shout  of  derisive  laughter  replied,  and  some 
heavy  object  was  thrown  against  the  door,  making  it 
shake  fearfully,  while  the  shower  of  kicks  and  blows 
rained  upon  it  made  it  evident  that  the  ruffianly  as 
sailants  were  determined  to  force  an  entrance,  and 
that  the  frail  barrier  could  not  long  withstand  their 
united  efforts  unless  strengthened  in  some  way  from 
within. 

Despairingly  the  child  glanced  about  the  bare,  de 
fenceless  little  room  when  suddenly  her  eye  fell  upon 
the  great  oaken  chest,  and  with  a  strength  born  of 
desperation,  she  managed  to  drag  it  from  its  place 
and  use  it  as  a  prop  for  the  yielding  door,  while  half 
frantic  at  her  own  helplessness  she  climbed  upon  its 
lid  and  bracing  her  feet,  tried  with  all  her  childish 
strength  to  uphold  the  trembling  structure  against 
which  the  mad  rioters  without  were  beating  and 


"Though  Blind,  My  Heart  can  See"      95 

crowding,  with  fiendish  oaths  and  cries  of  rage  at 
this  unexpected  resistance. 

They  had  come  out  primed  for  a  frolic,  and  mad 
dened  by  drink  and  a  spirit  of  wanton  mischief  had 
thought  it  a  good  joke  to  frighten  the  "old  witch" 
into  giving  them  a  drink  of  her  famous  mead,  with 
threats  of  a  "ducking"  in  some  convenient  snow 
drift  as  a  reward  for  telling  their  fortunes  falsely. 

Too  tipsy  to  recognize  Comfort's  voice,  they  had 
jumped  at  once  to  the  conclusion  that  the  speaker 
was  no  other  than  the  old  dame  herself,  and  that  her 
plea  of  sickness  was  only  a  ruse  to  get  rid  of  them. 
And  now  to  be  baffled  by  a  weak  old  woman,  who  not 
only  refused  them  entrance  into  her  cottage  but  ac 
tually  had  the  boldness  to  barricade  her  door  against 
them,  was  not  for  a  moment  to  be  endured,  and  with 
mingled  oaths  and  yells  of  savage  rage  they  kicked 
and  beat  against  the  door,  shouting  with  drunken 
triumph  as  one  of  the  panels  fell  inward  with  a  crash 
and  the  living  prop  against  it  gave  a  wild  shriek  of 
pain  and  terror.  Then  through  all,  above  all,  the 
frantic  child  heard  the  shrill  cry: 

"  Help  !     Help,  my  Comfort !  " 

And  careless  of  everything  but  the  safety  of  her 
old  friend,  the  girl  ran  instantly  at  the  piteous  call, 
scarcely  conscious  of  the  falling  timbers  that  came  so 
near  as  to  actually  graze  her  shoulder  as  she  leaped 
from  the  chest. 


CHAPTER  XI 

"DEAD?      WHO   IS   DEAD?" 

EARLY  in  the  evening  Comfort  had  placed  a  lamp 
in  the  room  of  the  sick  woman  with  a  vague,  un 
defined  instinct  that,  although  useless  to  her  darkened 
vision,  there  was  something  of  companionship  in  the 
cheery  little  flame  by  whose  light  she  now  saw  the 
deathly  face  and  staring,  sightless  eyes  of  Granny, 
who,  evidently  aroused  by  the  clamor  of  the  marau 
ders,  sat  bolt  upright  in  bed,  her  snowy  hair,  escaped 
from  the  cap,  streaming  wildly  over  her  shoulders, 
while  in  a  voice  weak  and  tremulous  but  shrill  with 
terror,  she  called  again  and  again : 

"  Help  !     Help  !     In  the  good  God's  name,  help  !  " 

With  an  unreasoning  impulse  to  protect  her  help 
less  charge  at  any  risk  to  herself,  the  child  flung  her 
self  upon  the  bed  and  clasped  her  arms  closely  about 
the  trembling  form. 

"  Don't  be  scared,  Granny,"  she  whispered  reas 
suringly,  although  her  tongue  seemed  suddenly  stiff 
ened  with  terror;  "  I  won't  let  them  hurt  you." 

Just  then,  with  a  howl  of  mingled  rage  and  triumph, 
the  whole  riotous  crew  burst  through  the  shattered 
door,  and  in  an  instant  the  outer  room  seemed  full  of 
shouting,  struggling  men,  —  men  whose  forms  by  the 
fading  light  of  the  dim  kitchen  fire  appeared  like 
some  grotesque  monsters,  disguised  as  they  were  by 


"Dead?    Who  is  Dead?"  97 

handkerchiefs  tied  over  the  lower  part  of  their  faces, 
and  caps  drawn  low  over  their  brows  so  that  only  their 
eyes,  shining  with  fierce  glee,  were  visible. 

"Where's  the  witch?"  shouted  half  a  score  of 
voices,  and  then,  coupled  with  a  savage  oath  the 
demand  :  "  Give  us  a  glim  !  " 

The  cherished  little  stand,  kicked  into  a  wreck,  was 
tossed  upon  the  fire,  and  blazing  up  in  a  moment  re 
vealed  to  the  child's  horrified  eyes  a  scene  of  the 
wildest  confusion.  The  broken  door  fallen  inward 
had  crushed  the  lid  of  the  chest,  so  that  the  poor  old 
dame's  hoarded  store  of  linen  was  strewn  from  end  to 
end  of  the  kitchen,  trampled  upon  and  kicked  into 
heaps  by  the  rude  feet,  while  chairs  and  settle  alike 
shared  in  the  wanton  destruction. 

With  a  faint  moan  Granny  fell  back  upon  her  pil 
low,  and  frantic  at  sight  of  the  general  devastation, 
Comfort  sprang  from  the  bed  and  standing  boldly  in 
the  doorway  sobbed  piteously: 

"  Don't  spoil  Granny's  things  !  They  're  all  she  's 
got." 

Framed  in  the  doorway  she  stood,  a  slight  girlish 
form,  the  red  gold  of  her  hair  shading  a  face  so  pure 
and  innocent,  so  brave,  too,  in  spite  of  the  tearful  eyes 
and  quivering  lips,  that  it  seemed  as  if  some  pitying 
angel  had  interposed  to  save  the  helpless  old  dame 
from  further  insult  and  injury.  At  sight  of  her  the 
intruders  paused  for  a  moment  in  evident  confusion 
and  surprise. 

"  Sure,  an'  it 's  one  o*  her  own  spirits  that  she 's 
called  oop !  "  muttered  the  burly  ringleader,  with  a 
momentary  superstitious  terror  that  made  him  slink 

7 


98  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

back  into  the  shadow;  "we'd  best  be  oot  o'  this, 
me  lads,  or  we  '11  be  afther  findin'  oorselves  bewitched 
intirely." 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  was  making  good 
his  retreat,  when  a  whispered  word  from  one  of  his 
comrades  checked  him,  and  the  next  moment  he  had 
resumed  all  his  ruffianly  hardihood,  and,  unheeding 
the  child's  entreaties  and  cries,  he  lifted  her  in  his 
strong  arms  as  if  she  had  been  a  feather,  and  tossing 
her  into  Granny's  armchair,  which,  strangely  enough, 
had  survived  the  general  wreck,  he  shouted  gleefully: 

"  Coom  on,  me  brave  byes  !  We  '11  make  the  ould 
witch  pay  f'r  this  night's  jinerin',  or  by  the  saints 
above  us  we  '11  pull  the  ould  shanty  doun  over 
her  hid." 

As  with  mad  laughter  and  threats  the  maudlin 
crowd  rushed  after  him  into  Granny's  room,  Com 
fort,  though  half  blinded  by  her  tears,  saw,  as  the 
fragments  of  the  table  flamed  up  brightly  for  an 
instant,  one  of  the  ruffians  who  had  loitered  behind 
his  fellows,  snatch  something  from  the  wreck  of 
the  chest,  and  hide  it  in  his  bosom.  It  was  the 
work  of  an  instant,  but  the  gleam  of  metal  as  it 
caught  the  firelight  betrayed  the  fact  that  it  was  no 
other  than  the  little  silver-bound  casket  containing 
Granny's  precious  heirlooms  that  was  being  thus 
stealthily  confiscated,  and  with  the  frantic  energy 
of  despair,  she  grasped  his  arm  as  he  rushed  past 
her. 

"  They  're  Granny's,  and  if  you  steal  them,  I  '11  —  " 

A  stinging  blow  across  her  cheek  made  her  recoil 
with  a  cry  of  pain,  and  the  next  instant  a  sudden 


"Dead?    Who  is  Dead?"  99 

hush  replaced  the  rude  clamor,  and  in  a  confused 
but  strangely  silent  mass  the  mob  crowded  past 
her,  making  for  the  door  in  such  frantic  haste  that 
she  barely  escaped  being  trodden  under  foot  in 
their  wild  exit.  What  could  it  mean?  She  glanced 
into  the  old  woman's  room  and  saw  that  nothing 
had  been  disturbed  and  that  the  inmate  was  appar 
ently  calm  and  quiet.  Without,  she  could  hear 
their  footsteps  fast  dying  away  in  the  distance, 
while  not  a  single  voice  was  lifted  either  in  triumph 
or  defiance.  What  power  could  thus  suddenly 
have  sobered  and  silenced  that  drunken  rout? 

Roused  from  her  terrified  bewilderment  by  the 
piercing  cold,  against  which  the  shattered  door  could 
no  longer  serve  as  a  protection,  Comfort  bestirred 
herself  to  prop  up  the  wreck  as  well  as  possible, 
and  by  hanging  before  it  the  soiled  and  scattered 
blankets  rifled  from  poor  Granny's  stores  managed 
to  make  the  room  habitable  for  the  night,  then  piling 
the  great  fireplace  high  with  birchen  logs,  she  has 
tened  to  the  old  woman's  bedside  with  words  of 
encouragement  and  cheer.  She  had  expected  to 
find  her  nervously  excited,  but  to  her  surprise  she 
seemed  resting  peacefully  upon  her  pillow,  her  wan 
hands  clasped  as  if  in  prayer,  and  a  smile  of  perfect 
restfulness  upon  the  pale  face,  —  such  a  smile  as  in 
all  these  toilsome  years  the  child  had  never  seen 
there  before.  The  little  maid  drew  a  long  breath  of 
relief, —  she  might  not  be  so  much  the  worse  for  the 
terrible  experience,  after  all,  and  laying  her  cheek, 
still  smarting  from  that  cowardly  blow,  upon  the  pil 
low  where  her  old  friend's  head  was  resting  so  peace- 


ioo  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

fully,  she  whispered  with  a  nervous  sob  that  she 
could  not  control: 

"  They  're  gone,  Granny.  And  I  've  fixed  up  the 
door,  and  built  a  good,  nice  fire,  so  we  sha'  n't  freeze 
before  morning.  Then  I  '11  run  over  home  and  get 
father  or  one  of  the  boys  to  make  the  door  all  right 
again." 

But  the  old  woman  neither  spoke  nor  moved. 

"  Did  n't  you  hear  me?  "  she  asked  in  a  louder  tone. 
"  Oh,  dear,  they  frightened  you  so  !  But  I  '11  get  you 
something  hot  to  drink,  and  that  will  make  you  feel 
ever  so  much  better." 

And  as  she  spoke  she  patted  tenderly  the  clasped 
hands  that  rested  without  stir  or  motion  upon  the 
coverlet.  What  was  there  in  that  touch  that  sent  a 
chill  as  of  death  to  the  child's  heart,  and  made  her 
grasp  the  bed  head  for  a  moment  to  support  herself  ? 
Dear  old  Granny !  for  her  there  could  be  no  more  of 
fear  or  sorrow.  The  pulseless  hands  were  like  ice, 
frozen  into  that  eternal  rest  that,  in  His  own  good 
time,  our  Father  will  surely  give  to  His  beloved. 

Comfort  had  never  in  all  her  life  before  stood  in  the 
presence  of  Death,  and  awestruck  and  grieved  as  she 
was,  the  idea  of  anything  terrifying  in  that  peaceful, 
pulseless  clay  never  once  occurred  to  her.  Her  fear 
of  the  living,  of  brutal,  godless  humanity  had,  in  the 
space  of  one  short  hour  transformed  the  dependent, 
timid  child  into  the  brave,  resourceful  woman,  de 
veloping  in  her  qualities  that  in  the  ordinary  routine 
of  daily  life  might  have  laid  dormant  for  years.  She 
had  been  forced  to  stand  alone  through  an  experience 
that  might  well  have  daunted  one  far  older  and  bolder 


"Dead?    Who  is  Dead?"  101 

than  our  simple,  unworldly  little  maiden,  and  with  a 
calmness  that  surprised  herself,  she  kissed  tearfully 
the  cold,  calm  brow,  and  with  a  touch  reverent  as 
tender,  smoothed  decently  the  covering  over  the 
silent  form  and  left  it  alone  in  the  quiet,  shadowed 
room,  while  she  returned  to  the  now  comfortable 
kitchen,  and  drawing  Granny's  chair  to  the  fireside, 
sat  quietly  down  to  wait  the  approach  of  the  lagging 
dawn. 

As  she  glanced  sadly  about  the  disordered  room, 
her  eye  fell  upon  an  object  half  hidden  beneath  the 
pile  of  tumbled  linen,  and  picking  it  up  she  found  as 
she  had  thought,  that  it  was  a  mitten  lost  by  one  of 
the  unbidden  visitors  in  their  raid  upon  the  cottage. 
An  eager  flush  rose  to  her  pale  cheek  as  taking  the 
relic  to  the  firelight  she  examined  it  with  something 
more  than  childish  curiosity.  The  raiders  had  been 
so  disguised  that,  in  the  gloom  and  confusion  she 
could  only  identify  the  ringleader,  whose  Irish 
tongue  had  betrayed  him.  But  here  was  a  proof 
of  the  identity  of  one  at  least,  if  the  ownership 
could  only  be  proved,  and  with  a  new,  stern  impulse 
firing  her  childish  breast  to  bring  to  justice  the  vil 
lains  who  had  without  doubt  been  the  immediate 
cause  of  her  old  friend's  death,  she  examined  it  with 
eyes  rendered  sharp  by  that  restless  longing  to 
discover  some  trace  by  which  one  of  the  culprits 
at  least  might  receive  the  punishment  that  he  so 
richly  deserved.  It  was  only  a  common  double  mit 
ten  of  blue  and  white  yarn,  knitted  in  what  the 
Island  housewives  called  a  "  fox  and  geese  "  pattern, 
the  same  pattern  that  two-thirds  of  the  men  and 


IO2  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

boys  in  the  neighborhood  had  their  mittens  knit  by. 
There  was  nothing  peculiar  about  it,  unless  —  she 
turned  back  the  long,  seamed  wrist,  and  held  it 
to  the  firelight  to  make  sure  of  any  private  mark 
that  might  be  there.  Yes,  there  it  was,  carefully 
marked  in  cross-stitch  with  scarlet  thread,  the  single 
letter  "H." 

She  knew  it  in  a  moment  as  the  work  of  her  own 
fingers,  and  remembered  that  each  one  of  her  brothers 
had  his  mittens  thus  elaborated.  With  a  sense  of 
the  keenest  humiliation,  sadder  than  sorrow  over 
the  dead,  bitterer  by  far  than  any  feeling  of  per 
sonal  wrong,  the  child  laid  her  weary  head  upon 
the  cushion,  Granny's  own  handiwork,  as  if  resting 
it  upon  the  bosom  of  a  friend,  and  softly  cried  her 
self  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER   XII 

"  I   SMELL  A  RAT  CLOSE  BY " 

NATURALLY  there  was  a  great  commotion  in 
the  little  community  when  the  story  of  the 
midnight  assault  and  Granny's  death  was  told,  and 
Mrs.  Hadlock  was  obliged  at  last  to  refuse  to  admit 
any  one  to  see  her  little  daughter,  who,  completely 
worn  out  with  her  watching  and  the  terrible  scenes 
through  which  she  had  passed,  lay  all  day  long  upon 
her  bed,  speaking  little,  and  then  only  when  spoken 
to ;  weeping  and  starting  nervously  at  the  sound  of 
a  strange  step  or  voice  outside  her  door. 

The  Squire  in  his  judicial  capacity  took  upon  him 
self  to  see  that  the  effects  of  the  deceased  were  safely 
locked  up,  to  wait  the  appearance  of  the  lawful  heir, 
as  well  as  to  arrange  for  the  inquest,  which  was  to 
decide  in  what  manner  the  old  dame  came  to  her 
death,  and  how  far  the  invaders  of  her  home  were 
responsible  for  that  event.  Now,  it  would  be  a  very 
harsh  thing  to  say  that  the  Squire  was  really  glad 
that  Granny  was  dead,  so  that  he  could  hold  an  in 
quest  over  her,  but  to  put  it  more  mildly,  if  she  must 
die,  and  an  inquest  was  really  necessary,  it  was  very 
fortunate  that  he,  —  Solomon  Hadlock,  Esquire,  Jus 
tice  of  the  Peace  and  Quorum,  should  have  the 
longed-for  opportunity  of  proving  his  fitness  for  the 
office  by  presiding  over  that  tribunal  and  "  sifting 


104  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  matter,"  to  use  his  own  words,  "  to  the  very 
bottom." 

Seven  good  men  and  true  were  summoned  to 
serve  as  a  jury,  and  Mrs.  Hadlock  received  orders  to 
have  a  good  fire  in  the  front  room,  with  plenty  of 
chairs,  as  well  as  pen,  ink,  and  paper  to  take  down 
the  deposition  of  the  witnesses. 

"  I  s'pose  Comfort  '11  have  to  testify  ?  "  she  asked, 
with  a  quaver  in  her  voice  that  made  her  husband 
glance  at  her  curiously. 

"  Of  course  she  will.  Let  me  tell  you,"  with  the 
first  display  of  fatherly  pride  that  he  had  ever  shown 
toward  his  little  daughter,  "  that  her  testimony  '11  be 
the  settler.  She  was  the  only  witness,  an'  it 's  her 
word  that'll  decide  whether  them  fellers  shall  see  the 
inside  of  State's  prison  or  not." 

Mrs.  Hadlock  turned  pale  as  death,  and  leaned 
heavily  against  the  dresser  for  support. 

"  Oh,  no,  father,  it  can't  be  so  bad  as  that.  They 
did  n't  lay  a  finger  on  'er,  —  Comfort  says  so,  an'  —  " 

"What  o'  that?  Didn't  they  scare  'er  to  death? 
an'  didn't  they  break  an'  enter  her  house,  an' 
smash  an'  burn  her  furnitoor?  You'll  find,"  brist 
ling  with  importance,  and  glaring  fiercely  at  his  agi 
tated  wife  as  if  he  held  her  in  some  sense  responsible 
for  the  crime,  "  that  the  law  '11  know  how  to  deal 
with  sech  scamps,  no  matter  what  a  silly  woman  may 
think  about  it." 

Something  like  a  moan  burst  from  his  wife's  white 
lips. 

"  Perhaps,"  she  faltered,  "  some  of  the  boys  right 
here  in  the  neighborhood  might  have  had  a  hand  in 


"I  Smell  a  Rat  Close  By"  105 

it.  They  did  n't  mean  it  for  anything  but  a  foolish 
joke,  I  suppose,  and  they  did  n't  know  that  she  was 
sick." 

"What  difference  does  that  make?"  retorted  her 
lord,  swelling  with  virtuous  indignation.  "  Do  you 
s'pose  that,  as  a  magistrate,  I  'd  shirk  my  dooty 
in  this  case?  I  don't  care  if  'twas  the  son  of  my 
next  door  neighbor,  I  'd  find  him  guilty  if  he  was 
guilty  just  as  quick  as  I  'd  shoot  a  henhawk  off  'n  his 
barnyard  fence.  In  sech  times  as  these  't  ain't  no 
use  tryin'  to  block  the  wheels  of  the  law.  I  say,  let 
them  that  has  danced  pay  the  fiddler." 

Comfort's  face,  too,  wore  a  troubled,  downcast 
look,  at  which  her  father  secretly  wondered.  Why, 
when  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  she  was  to  occupy 
a  position  of  importance,  should  she  look  as  scared 
and  ashamed  as  if  she  was  one  of  the  accused  instead 
of  being  chief  accuser?  Others,  too,  noticed  her  de 
jected  air,  and  as  the  curious  neighbors  dropped  in 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  inquest,  one  after  another, 
until  the  large  sitting-room  was  crowded  with  eager 
women  and  girls,  more  than  one  inquisitive  matron 
found  herself  unexpectedly  foiled  in  an  attempt  to 
draw  from  the  pale,  silent  child  the  story  of  that 
terrible  night's  experiences. 

"  Her  father  said  she  'd  best  not  talk  about  it  until 
after  the  inquest,"  explained  Mrs.  Hadlock,  un 
comfortably  conscious  of  the  offended  faces  of  the 
disappointed  gossips,  and  to  this  the  Widow  Scrip 
ture,  in  her  seat  of  honor  nearest  the  door  of  the 
next  room,  where  the  hum  of  masculine  voices  could 
be  distinctly  heard,  added  her  testimony  —  the  testi- 


106  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

mony  of  one  who  knew  whereof  she  affirmed,  for  had 
she  not  been  herself  a  witness  in  a  breach  of  promise 
case,  and  knew  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  a  court  of  jus 
tice  by  personal  experience? 

"  Yes,  that 's  accordin'  to  law.  Sometimes  they 
lock  'em  up  f 'r  weeks  before  the  court  sets,  so 't  they 
can't  get  the  chance  to  make  common  talk  of  what 
they  know." 

At  this  all  the  women  and  girls  looked  straight  at 
Comfort  with  eyes  of  awful  commiseration,  making 
her  blush  and  hang  her  head  guiltily,  while  Tabby 
Scripture  gave  her  apron  a  sly  tweak,  and  whispered 
under  cover  of  the  general  chatter: 

"  Have  they  got  it  in  there  to  set  on?" 

Comfort  looked  bewildered. 

"  Got  what?"  she  asked. 

Tabby's  rosy  face  was  drawn  into  a  solemn  pucker, 
and  she  lifted  her  hand  with  a  warning  gesture. 

"Hush  —  sh!  Don't  talk  so  loud.  It?  why  I 
mean  Granny  Hedvig's  corpse,  of  course.  Ain't  that 
what  they're  settin'  on  in  there?  Ma'am  said  'twas." 

"Why  —  y,  no,"  and  Comfort's  eyes  were  wide 
with  wonder.  "  There  's  nobody  but  some  men  in 
there  with  father,  and  when  he  calls  me,  I  Ve  got  to 
go  in  and  tell  'em  all  I  know  about  poor  Granny's 
death.  Oh,  Tabby!"  in  a  sudden  burst  of  confidence, 
"  what  do  you  s'pose  they  'd  do  to  me  if  I  would  n't 
tell  all  I  know?" 

"  I  dunno,  I  'm  sure,  what  they'd  do  \.Q  you,  but  ma 
says  that  in  old  times  they  used  to  squeeze  'em  to 
death  if  they  would  n't  tell." 

"Used  to  what?"  gasped  Comfort. 


"I  Smell  a  Rat  Close  By"  107 

"Squeeze  'em  to  death,"  repeated  the  other  with 
as  much  composure  as  if  the  terrible  " peine  forte  et 
dure  "  were  as  much  a  matter  of  everyday  occurrence 
in  a  nineteenth  century  Maine  village  as  a  cuff  upon 
the  ear  or  the  application  of  a  birch  rod  to  the  back 
of  some  refractory  schoolboy. 

"The  way  'twas  done,"  went  on  Tabby  with  in 
finite  relish,  "  they  laid  'em  down  on  their  backs  and 
tied  their  legs  and  arms  to  stakes  driv  into  the  ground, 
just  like  that  picture  of  Saint  Andrew's  in  ma's  book 
o'  Fox's  Martyrs,  —  you've  seen  that?" 

Comfort  shook  her  head,  she  was  too  frightened  to 
speak. 

"  Ain't?  Well,  you  ought  to,  it 's  lots  o'  fun  lookin' 
at  the  pictures.  But  about  this  squeezin'.  After 
they  've  got  'em  tied  down  good  an'  strong,  they  pile  a 
good-sized  stun  on  their  stomach,  an'  then  they  say, — 
'  Will  ye  tell  now? '  If  they  say  no,  they  pile  another 
on  top  o'  that,  askin'  every  time  if  they  '11  tell,  — " 

A  horrible  pause,  and  Comfort's  voice  was  almost 
inaudible  as  she  asked  with  a  shudder: 

"What  if  they  won't?  " 

"  Then  they  '11  keep  pilin'  on  the  stones  till  you  're 
as  flat  as  —  as  a  pancake." 

Comfort  leaned  back  against  the  wall,  white  and 
shivering,  while  her  companion,  really  frightened  at 
the  effect  of  her  vivid  word-picture,  tried,  without 
taking  any  humiliating  back  tracks,  to  reassure  her: 

"  Oh,  law !  you  need  n't  be  scart,  seein'  yer  own 
father's  at  the  helium.  Besides,"  with  a  sharp  look, 
"  there  ain't  nothin'  that  you  'd  object  to  tellin',  of 
course,  eh?  " 


io8  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

The  color  came  slowly  back  to  the  child's  cheek 
and  brow  as  she  said,  in  a  voice  scarce  above  a 
whisper: 

"  Whatever  I  tell,  I  shall  tell  the  truth" 

The  low-spoken  words  probably  never  reached  the 
ear  of  her  companion,  whose  attention  just  then  was 
attracted  by  her  mother's  loud  tones  as  she  dispensed 
her  law  knowledge  with  a  liberal  hand  to  the  group 
of  interested  listeners  about  her : 

"  Yes,  this  breakin'  an'  enterin'  is  a  pretty  serious 
business,  let  me  tell  you.  It 's  a  State's  prison  crime 
even  if  they  hadn't  scart  the  old  woman  to  death. 
You  don't  s'pose,"  addressing  Mrs.  Hadley,  who  sat 
pale  and  anxious  among  them,  saying  little  and  taking 
no  part  whatever  in  the  discussion  as  to  who  the  cul 
prits  might  be,  "  that  they  really  stole  anything  ? 
T  would  go  hard  with  'em  if  that  could  be  proved." 

All  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  evidently  agitated 
woman,  who  waited  a  full  minute,  apparently  intent 
upon  a  dropped  stitch  in  her  knitting,  before  she 
replied : 

"  Their  object  don't  seem  to  have  been  robbery, 
and  we  all  know  that  the  poor  old  soul  had  nothing 
of  value  that  would  be  likely  to  be  a  temptation  to  a 
lot  of  drunken,  mischievous  boys." 

Tabby  pricked  up  her  ears,  and  glanced  shrewdly 
from  the  troubled  face  of  the  mother  to  that  of  her 
no  less  agitated  daughter. 

"  I  would  n't  be  afraid  to  bet  considerable,"  she 
thought,  "  that  one  o'  the  Hadlock  boys  was  in  that 
scrape,  an'  his  mother  an'  Comfort  knew  it,  too." 

And  fired  with  the  zeal  of  discovery  she  stole  un- 


"I  Smell  a  Rat  Close  By"  109 

observed  out  to  the  back  door,  where  she  encountered 
Isaac,  who,  all  agog  with  boyish  curiosity,  was  hang 
ing  about,  looking  and  listening  with  all  his  eyes  and 
ears  to  catch  the  smallest  hint  of  what  was  going  on 
within,  —  for  in  deference  to  the  importance  of  the 
occasion,  the  Squire  had  insisted  upon  the  inquest 
being  held  with  closed  doors.  Tabby  smiled  sweetly 
upon  the  boy. 

"  They  ain't  left  you  to  look  out  f'r  all  the  hosses, 
have  they?"  she  asked  with  flattering  solicitude  and 
a  glance  at  the  half-dozen  well-blanketed  animals 
scattered  about  the  yard,  while  their  owners  were 
devoting  themselves  to  the  State's  service  within. 
"Where's  the  other  boys?" 

"Jote's  hangin'  round  somewheres,  —  in  the  barn, 
I  guess ;  an'  Dave 's  down  to  the  Cove  ter  get  some 
tea  f'r  ma'am.  He  went  long  before  dinner,  an'  we 
hain't  seen  hide  nor  hair  of  'im  sence." 

"  Humph  !  "  thought  Miss  Tabby  complacently,  as 
she  strolled  leisurely  back  into  the  sitting-room, 
"  Dave  's  the.  one,  sure  's  fate." 

And  as  Comfort  just  then,  in  obedience  to  her 
father's  summons,  staggered  rather  than  walked 
across  the  threshold  of  the  door  that  some  friendly 
hand  held  open  for  her,  the  girl's  not  unkindly  heart 
felt  an  unwonted  throb  of  pity,  and  for  the  moment 
she  devoutly  wished  that  she  had  held  her  tongue 
about  that  horrible  old  witness  business,  that  was  out 
lawed  years  ago  most  likely.  But  it  was  too  late  to 
unsay  it  now,  and  pity  was  soon  forgotten  in  an  over 
weening  curiosity  to  know  what  the  outcome  of  it  all 
would  be. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

"NAY,   TELL   IT  ALL" 

COMFORT  HADLOCK,  advance  and  take  the 
oath."  And  the  Squire,  who  had  never  in  his  life 
been  present  at  an  inquest  before,  and  whose  ideas 
were  decidedly  misty  as  to  the  usual  formula  on  such 
occasions,  frowned  sternly  upon  his  little  daughter  as 
she  timidly  "  advanced  "  beneath  the  curious  eyes  of 
the  lookers  on,  and  at  his  bidding  held  up  her  childish 
hand  to  take  the  witness's  oath.  "  You  solemnly 
promise  on  this  Holy  Book,"  touching  the  Bible  that 
lay  in  solitary  state  upon  the  table,  "  that  you  '11  tell 
the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth, 
so  help  you  God?  " 

The   small   uplifted   hand   trembled    and  wavered 
uncertainly. 

"  I  '11  tell  the  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 
Her  voice  was  low  and  soft,  but  in  the  stillness  her 
words  were  distinctly  audible  in  every  corner  of  the 
room,  and  not  a  man  of  them  all  doubted  for  an 
instant  the  sincerity  of  the  promise  thus  honestly 
given.  Only  our  old  acquaintance  the  doctor,  who 
had  all  these  years  kept  up  his  friendly  interest  in 
the  unwelcome  baby,  noted  the  omission  with  a 
feeling  of  passing  wonder.  Were  there  any  reasons 
why  the  little  maid  should  not  tell  all  she  knew? 
And  with  equal  interest  but  more  keenness  perhaps 


"Nay,  Tell  It  All"  in 

than  his  neighbors,  the  shrewd  little  man  listened  to 
the  story  of  that  dreadful  night,  the  assault  upon  the 
cottage  and  the  death  of  its  aged  mistress.  As  a 
medical  man,  he  had  already  given  his  testimony 
that  Dame  Hedvig  came  to  her  death  by  chronic 
heart  disease,  aggravated  and  hastened,  without  doubt, 
by  the  terrible  shock  that  the  invasion  of  her  home 
caused  her,  and  Comfort's  story  corroborated  his 
theory,  thus  making  the  marauders  undeniably  guilty 
of  manslaughter.  But  now  the  duty  of  the  jury  was 
to  find  out  who  these  marauders  were,  and  the  fore 
man  hastened  to  ask  with  a  gravity  befitting  the 
importance  of  the  subject: 

"  Did  you  recognize  any  of  these  men  who  broke 
into  the  house?  " 

"  Only  Ducky  Welch,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  "  I 
knew  him  by  his  voice.  But  they  all  had  handker 
chiefs  tied  over  their  faces,  and  the  fire  was  so  low 
that  there  was  hardly  any  light  in  the  kitchen  to 
see  anything  by." 

"  But  wa'  n't  there  some  mark,  somethin'  about  their 
build  or  their  clo'es,  that  looked  nateral?  The  one 
that  stole  the  jewelry,  now,  he  come  near  enough  to 
slap  yer  face ;  could  n't  you  give  a  guess  as  to  who 
he  was  ? " 

The  child's  pale  cheek  grew  a  shade  paler,  but  she 
answered  steadily  : 

"  His  face  was  covered  like  all  the  rest,  and  he 
never  spoke  a  word.  Besides,  I  was  so  frightened 
and  hurt  by  the  blow,  that  I  did  n't  really  see  him 
before  he  'd  gotten  away  with  the  rest." 

The  faces  of  the  jury  wore  a  dissatisfied  look  as 


H2  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

they  exchanged  glances  of  mingled  doubt  and 
perplexity. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  us  that  only  sailor  Welch 
said  anything?"  demanded  a  rough-spoken  old  farmer, 
in  such  a  suspicious  tone  that  Comfort  colored  uncom 
fortably;  it  seemed  as  if  he  half  doubted  her  word. 

"  Oh,  no,  I  did  n't  mean  that,"  she  hastened  to  say. 
"  They  were  all  shouting  and  swearing,  and  threaten 
ing  what  they  'd  do  if  I  did  n't  unbar  the  door.  But 
the  voices  were  all  so  mixed  up  that  I  could  n't  tell 
one  from  another.  Only  Ducky  spoke  Irish,"  she 
added  with  childish  simplicity,  "  and  that 's  how  I 
knew  him." 

"  It  ain't  likely,"  put  in  the  Squire,  "  that  in  all 
that  crowd  there  wa'  n't  some  that  live  hereabouts. 
There  ain't  more  'n  half  a  dozen  of  them  sailors  in 
town,  an'  the  rest  must  'a'  been  recruits  from  our 
own  neighborhood." 

At  this  suggestion  several  of  the  jury  who  were 
the  fathers  of  grown-up  sons  began  to  show  signs  of 
uneasiness,  and  the  disposition  to  question  the  wit 
ness  further  upon  the  identity  of  the  accused  parties 
visibly  weakened.  Not  so  the  Squire,  who,  not  ill 
pleased  at  the  effect  of  his  unwelcome  hint  upon  the 
jury,  took  a  hand  at  cross-questioning  the  witness 
himself. 

"  But  could  n't  you  tell  what  they  wore,  —  their 
coats  or  caps?  " 

"  No ;  they  all  looked  alike  to  me,  they  were  so 
crowded." 

"  They  did  n't  leave  nothin'  behind  'em,  —  a  hand 
kerchief  or  a  mitten,  eh  ? " 


"Nay,  Tell  It  All"  113 

It  had  come  at  last,  and  the  child's  face  grew 
white  as  death  while  she  gasped  a  scarcely  audible 
affirmative. 

The  Squire's  face  beamed  with  proud  satisfaction, 
and  he  rubbed  his  hands  sharply  together  till  the 
hard  palms  creaked  and  grated  —  like  a  rope  rubbing 
against  a  wooden  beam,  Comfort  thought,  with  a 
sickening  horror  that  fairly  took  away  her  breath. 

"Well,  what  was  it?  Tell  us  what  you  found, — 
remember  you  're  on  yer  oath." 

Her  oath  !  Little  danger  was  there  of  her  forget 
ting  it,  when  every  beam  and  rafter  of  the  suddenly 
hushed  room  seemed  to  send  back  the  terrible  echo. 
Even  the  tall  eight-day  clock  in  the  corner  with  its 
monotonous  "  tick-tick  "  was  slowly  spelling  out  the 
fateful  words  :  "  Your  oath  !  your  oath  !  "  She  reeled 
dizzily  and  would  have  fallen  had  not  the  kindly 
doctor  placed  his  own  chair  for  her,  while  under 
cover  of  this  little  courtesy  he  took  occasion  to 
whisper  reassuringly: 

"Don't  be  frightened,  little  lass.  Tell  the  truth, 
and  nobody  will  blame  or  hurt  you." 

But  the  Squire  was  growing  indignant  and  not  a 
little  mortified.  That  a  child  of  his  should  act  so 
much  like  a  simpleton,  was  not  for  an  instant  to  be 
endured,  and  raising  his  voice  with  the  combined 
authority  of  the  parent  and  the  magistrate,  he  said 
sharply : 

"Tell  us  this  minute  what  you  found,  if 'twa'  n't 
nothin'  but  a  gallus  button." 

Comfort  shut  her  eyes,  she  had  not  the  courage  to 
face  his  angry  frown,  while  in  the  innocence  of  her 


H4  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

childish  heart  she  prayed  for  courage  to  do  right,  — 
to  speak  the  whole,  terrible,  shameful  truth,  let  what 
would  come  of  it. 

"  I  found  a  mitten,  a  man's  blue  and  white  mitten," 
she  said  steadily,  although  she  could  hear  the  beat 
ing  of  her  own  frightened  heart  above  the  words 
themselves. 

And  as  at  her  father's  command  she  produced  the 
article  in  question,  a  wild  hope  shot  across  her  brain 
that  perhaps  after  all  the  mark  might  go  unnoticed  or, 
if  seen,  fail  to  be  traced  to  the  right  source.  There 
were  plenty  of  families  in  town  whose  names  began 
with  that  initial,  and  if  nobody  should  remember  to 
ask  directly  if  she  recognized  it,  the  terrible  exposure 
that  she  so  dreaded  might  not  come  even  now. 

This  mitten  was  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  and 
the  Squire  was  the  first  to  spy  the  private  mark. 

"  Marked  with  an  '  H  ',"  was  his  exulting  comment. 
"Well,  well, — we're  on  the  track  now,  sure.  Who 
is  there  whose  name  begins  with  an  '  H  '  that  would 
be  likely  to  be  in  a  scrape  like  this?" 

He  did  not  notice  the  significant  glances  that  passed 
from  man  to  man,  nor  did  he  for  an  instant  suspect 
that  Comfort's  reluctance  to  produce  this  important 
piece  of  evidence  had  had  its  root  in  anything  but 
childish  diffidence  or  obstinacy.  And  he  went  on 
with  the  most  unconcerned  air  imaginable  to  run  over 
the  names  in  the  neighborhood  beginning  with  "  H  ". 

"  Hamet  —  their  children  are  all  girls;  Higgins  — 
there  's  young  Tom,  but  he 's  been  shut  up  in  the 
house  f'r  a  fortnight  from  the  kick  o'  that  frisky 
colt  o*  theirs ;  Hamor  hain't  got  a  chick  nor  a  child 


"Nay,  Tell  It  All"  115 

in  the  world ;  then  there  's,  let  me  see,  —  Why," 
with  a  sharp  glance  at  the  foreman,  "  there  's  you, 
Hull.  Where  'd  that  Abel  o'  yours  spend  last  Monday 
night?" 

"  In  his  bed,  thank  the  good  Lord  !  "  thundered 
the  farmer,  in  a  towering  rage,  for  Abel  was  noted 
for  his  good  steady  habits,  and  a  breath  of  suspicion 
had  never  before  fallen  on  him.  "P'r'aps,"  with  a 
knowing  glance  about  the  room,  "  'f  I  can  ask  the 
little  gal  a  question  or  two  I  can  find  out  who  owns 
that  mitten  without  any  more  guessin'." 

The  Squire  nodded  a  stately  assent,  and  the  still 
irate  Hull  turned  to  Comfort  with  the  sharply  put 
question : 

"  Do  you  know  whose  mitten  't  is?  " 

"  Yes." 

Had  a  thunderbolt  fallen  in  their  midst  it  could 
not  have  created  greater  consternation  than  the  utter 
ance  of  that  one  word.  Every  man  rose  to  his  feet  in 
the  excitement  of  the  moment,  or  leaned  forward  in 
his  chair  with  staring,  wonder-full  eyes,  while  in  the 
solemn  stillness  you  might  have  heard  a  pin  drop,  as 
slowly  the  questioner  asked : 

"Who  is  it?" 

Twice  the  girl's  pale  lips  unclosed  but  no  sound 
came  from  them.  It  was  a  terrible  ordeal  for  one  so 
young  and  tender,  but  the  lesson  learned  at  her  Chris 
tian  mother's  knee  could  not  so  easily  be  unlearned, 
and  in  a  tone  shrill  and  sharp  as  of  some  tortured  an 
imal,  she  cried  piteously: 

"  Oh,  why  did  you  ask  me  that?  It  belongs  to  one 
of  my  own  brothers,  —  either  Jotham  or  David'' 


1 1 6  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Then  with  a  strange  ringing  in  her  ears  she  fell  back 
into  her  seat,  while  the  angry  voice  of  her  father  and 
the  nearer,  kindly  tones  of  the  good  doctor  mingled 
strangely  in  her  half-unconscious  ears  as  the  latter 
tenderly  bore  her  from  the  room  and  gave  her  into 
her  mother's  arms,  with  the  whispered  warning : 

"  It 's  been  too  much  for  her  nerves,  with  all  she  'd 
gone  through  before.  It 's  no  light  thing,"  he  added 
with  a  meaning  emphasis,  as  his  eyes  met  those  of 
the  frightened  woman,  "  for  a  sister  to  have  to  tell  that 
of  her  own  brother  that  will  put  him  into  the  State's 
prison,  —  if  he  can  be  caught." 

A  good,  law-abiding  citizen  was  our  friendly  little 
doctor,  and  who  shall  say  that  he  had  the  least  idea 
that  his  very  natural  comment  would,  as  the  Squire 
had  expressed  it,  do  anything  to  "  block  the  wheels 
of  the  law,"  or  that  Mrs.  Hadlock,  in  acting  upon  the 
warning  thus  given,  should  a  little  later  take  the  time 
to  air  her  scarlet  stand  cloth  by  hanging  it  from  her 
chamber  window,  allowing  her  motherly  affection 
to  get  the  better  of  her  love  of  justice  ?  When  Love 
and  Reason  fail  to  agree,  Love  is  pretty  sure  to  have 
his  way,  and  if  the  poor,  foolish  lad  escaped,  to  be 
henceforth  a  wanderer  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  no 
body  was  any  the  worse  for  it. 

Jotham  when  summoned  before  the  tribunal  over 
which  his  crestfallen  father  reluctantly  presided, 
easily  cleared  his  own  skirts  by  producing  both  of  his 
own  mittens,  while  he  unhesitatingly  declared  that  the 
one  shown  him  "  belonged  to  Dave."  Moreover,  the 
sudden  disappearance  of  that  unfortunate  youth,  in 
the  company  of  Ducky  Welch  and  his  disreputable 


"Nay,  Tell  It  All"  117 

mates  before,  in  the  confusion,  steps  could  be  taken 
to  arrest  them,  showed  only  too  plainly  that  the 
suspicions  against  him  were  well  founded. 

The  Squire  was  terribly  humiliated,  but  he  tried 
hard  to  hold  up  his  head,  and  pretend  that  he  had 
faith  that  time  would  unravel  the  mystery,  and  show 
that  "  the  boy  wa'  n't  so  much  to  blame  after  all," 
while  Jotham  made  no  bones  of  expressing  his  scorn 
and  contempt  for  his  runaway  brother. 

"  Dave  wa'  n't  never  more  'n  half  baked,"  he  de 
clared,  with  not  so  much  as  a  single  word  of  pity  for 
the  poor  youth's  disgrace.  "  Why,  in  thunder,  if  he'd 
got  into  a  scrape  like  that  did  n't  he  stay  an'  brazen  it 
out  like  a  man,  instead  o'  turnin'  tail  like  a  whipped 
dog,  an'  sneakin'  off  nobody  knew  where?  " 

Why,  indeed?  Jotham  was  wise  in  his  generation, 
and  a  faithful  observer  of  his  favorite  maxim : 
"  Better  a  lie  well  stuck  to  than  the  truth  wavering." 


CHAPTER   XIV 
"o  TIME  AND  CHANGE" 

O  PRING  is  apt  to  loiter  in  making  her  first  appear- 
^  ance  in  the  Desert  Island,  but  when  she  once 
makes  up  her  mind  she  throws  herself  heart  and  soul 
into  the  work  of  making  things  presentable  after  the 
frost,  and  ice,  and  gloom  of  winter.  With  true  house 
wifely  zeal  she  sweetens,  cleanses,  and  furbishes  up 
every  dirty,  cluttered,  or  unsightly  spot  from  end  to 
end  of  its  rock-ribbed  expanse,  and  decks  it  with 
lavish  hand  for  the  approach  of  June,  fair  bridal 
month  of  the  year  in  our  northern  clime. 

The  spring  succeeding  Granny's  death  was  no  ex 
ception  to  the  general  rule,  and  Comfort,  after  the 
first  sweet  promise  that  the  pussy  willows  brought, 
had  a  long  season  of  impatient  waiting,  for  it  seemed 
even  longer  than  usual  before  her  eyes  were  glad 
dened  by  the  brave  yellow  stars  of  the  coltsfoot,  upon 
whose  sturdy  heels  came  crowding  the  frailer  blos 
soms,  —  the  shivering  anemones,  the  liverworts,  and 
flaunting  rock  columbines,  —  all  eager,  it  would  seem, 
to  make  the  most  of  their  brief  time  by  getting  their 
new  households  well  under  way  before  the  summer's 
uncongenial  heat  should  force  them  into  the  back 
ground  of  a  withered,  unlovely  old  age. 

The  slow  melting  of  the  snow  had  left  the  roads  in 
a  very  bad  condition,  and  it  was  well  into  May  before 


"O  Time  and  Change"  1 19 

our  little  maiden  ventured  to  pay  her  longed-for  visit 
to  the  deserted  cottage  of  the  Hedvigs.  It  was  a  clear 
bright  morning  as  she  walked  down  the  narrow  wood 
path,  skilfully  picking  her  way  from  stone  to  hum 
mock,  or  springing  lightly  from  side  to  side  to  avoid 
the  treacherous  mud  whose  depth  and  stickiness  she 
had  too  often  tested  to  try  her  weight  upon  it  now. 

The  birds  were  singing  as  cheerily  in  the  misty 
green  of  the  budding  tree-tops  as  if  each  little  house 
holder  held  a  promissory  note  from  the  clerk  of  the 
weather  that  the  full  foliage  should  be  all  ready  for  a 
roofing  the  very  day  that  the  nests  were  ready  for  it. 
The  air  was  sweet  with  spicy  odors  from  the  spruce 
and  pine,  and  within  hand's  reach  the  young  birches 
stretched  out  their  slender  arms,  whose  half-unfolded 
buds,  creased  and  dimpled  bits  of  rosy  bronze,  made 
one  think  of  the  chubby  fist  of  a  well-to-do  Indian 
baby.  The  tiny  green  fans  of  the  maples  were 
feathered  with  the  same  ruddy  hue,  and  the  alder  that 
stood  by  the  entrance  of  the  now  silent  cottage  had 
hung  itself  from  tip  to  trunk  with  tassels  of  brown  and 
gold  that  dangled  and  swayed  to  every  passing  breeze 
and  seemed  to  have  a  special  attraction  for  Granny's 
bees,  scores  of  whom  hummed  contentedly  about  its 
pollen-dropping  twigs. 

As  they  approached  the  cottage,  Frigga,  who  was 
now  Comfort's  special  charge,  and  who  had  kept 
close  to  her  heels  as  usual,  pricked  up  her  ears  and 
glanced  over  her  shoulder  at  her  young  mistress  with 
a  startled,  not  to  say  frightened,  look  upon  her  wise 
old  face. 

"What  is  it,  kitty?"  laughed  the   child,    glad  to 


i  20  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

shake  off  the  gloom  that  the  spot  and  its  sad  memo 
ries  had  cast  over  her.  "  Have  you  remembered 
Frey's  sword  all  this  time?" 

Perhaps  Frigga  felt  the  reminder  as  a  slur  upon 
her  courage,  for  she  turned  deliberately  and  walked 
off  a  little  way  into  the  woods,  where,  with  a  very 
dignified  air,  she  sat  herself  down  at  the  foot  of  an 
old  stump,  and  pretended  to  be  so  interested  in  the 
gambols  of  a  very  lively  young  squirrel  that  she 
could  n't  hear  a  word  of  the  call  that  Comfort  sent 
after  her. 

"  Frigg3*  Frigga,  you  naughty  kitty !  come  here 
this  minute." 

Her  sweet,  clear,  young  voice  rang  out  pleasantly 
upon  the  still  morning  air,  penetrating  to  the  recesses 
even  of  the  silent  cabin. 

"Comfort!  I  say,  Comfort!  Halloo,  there!"  and 
Franz,  just  as  freckled  and  brown,  and  honest-eyed  as 
of  old,  came  from  the  cottage,  looking  for  all  the 
world,  Comfort  thought,  as  if  he  had  never  left  it. 

She  rubbed  her  eyes  and  stared  at  him  for  a 
moment  in  dazed  silence.  Had  all  the  dreadful 
things  that  had  happened  during  these  last  few 
months  been  but  a  dream  after  all?  and  were  Franz 
and  Granny  still  safe  and  sound  in  the  old  home? 
For  one  bewildered  moment  she  half  expected  to 
see  the  dame's  kerchiefed  head  looking  over  her 
grandson's  shoulder,  and  to  hear  again  the  familiar 
greeting: 

"  Good-morning  to  thee,  my  Comfort." 

But  the  next  moment  it  all  came  back  to  her, — 
Granny's  death,  and  the  shame  and  sorrow  that  had 


"O  Time  and  Change"  121 

fallen  upon  her  own  household,  and  with  a  wild  out 
burst  of  grief,  she  cried  between  her  sobs : 

"  Oh,  Franz  !     To  come  back  to  this." 

The  youth's  face  that  had  beamed  with  pleasure  at 
sight  of  his  favorite  playmate  slowly  darkened. 

"  Your  father  wrote  me  part,  and  the  Widow  Scrip 
ture  told  me  the  rest  last  night,"  he  said,  stepping 
back  into  the  desolate  doorway,  while  the  hand  that 
had  only  a  moment  before  held  her  own  in  its  friendly 
clasp  fell  limp  and  undecided  at  its  owner's  side. 

The  girl's  sensitive  nature  felt  the  unconscious  re 
coil,  and  there  was  a  pleading  tenderness  in  her  tones 
as  she  ventured  upon  the  threadbare  excuse  that,  in 
her  heart,  she  felt  was  no  excuse  at  all. 

"  Then  you  know  that  they  were  not  really  them 
selves,  and  did  n't  half  know  what  they  were  about. 
It  was  awfully  wicked  and  mean,"  she  added  in  re 
sponse  to  Franz's  look  of  stern  disapproval ;  "  but 
they  were  only  boys,  you  know,  and,  —  Oh,  Franz  !  " 
with  a  sudden  burst  of  tears  that  went  farther  to 
soften  the  angry  youth  than  any  elaborate  defence 
could  have  done.  "  Dave  would  n't  have  hurt  a  hair 
of  Granny's  head,  for  the  world,  meaning  to.  And 
now  he 's  gone  —  shipped  in  a  whaler  that  sailed 
about  that  time,  we  think,  and  never  can  see  his 
home  or  mother  again  without  being  in  danger  of 
the  State's  prison.  We  never  have  tried  to  excuse 
him  for  his  share  in  the  mischief,  but  is  n't  his  pun 
ishment  heavy  enough  as  it  is?" 

She  had  followed  him  into  the  cottage,  where  the 
chill,  musty  air  made  one  more  than  ever  sensible  of 
the  desolation  and  gloom  that  now  reigned  over  the 


122  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

once  happy  little  home,  and  his  face  was  turned  from 
her  as  he  lifted  one  familiar  object  after  another, 
handling  each  with  a  tenderness  that  contrasted 
sharply  with  the  cold  constraint  of  his  tone  as,  after 
an  embarrassing  silence,  he  asked  irrelevantly: 

"  Did  your  father  lock  up  the  pictures  and  books, 
and  the  trinkets  she  thought  so  much  of  in  the 
chest?" 

"Yes,  everything,"  replied  the  child,  with  a  shiver 
that  was  not  all  due  to  the  unsunned  air  of  the  cot 
tage.  "  He  mended  the  chest,  and  mother  packed 
all  the  bedding  and  the  other  things,  —  everything 
but  the  furniture  and  dishes,  into  it.  The  wheel  was 
broken,  and  she  took  it  home,  because  she  thought  it 
would  be  safest  there  until  it  could  be  mended." 

"That  was  right.  She  is  welcome  to  keep  it.  And 
I  want  her  and  you,  Comfort,  to  have  all  the  bedding 
and  other  housekeeping  things.  I  have  n't  forgot," 
and  his  voice  softened  into  the  old  well-remembered 
tones,  "  how  good  you  both  were  to  poor  Granny, 
and  how  much  you  did  for  her.  I  'm  glad  she  gave 
you  the  silver  cross,"  -  —  (so  the  widow  had  told  him 
of  that,  too),  "  for  I  think  if  anybody  deserves  it 
you  do." 

There  was  the  old  frank  heartiness  in  speech  and 
manner,  while  the  grateful  smile  that  lighted  up  his 
face  as  he  turned  it  toward  her,  showed  that  the 
friendly  words  were  not  to  be  taken  simply  as  a 
polite  acknowledgment  of  his  obligation  to  them  on 
Granny's  account.  What  was  it,  then,  that  the  girl 
missed,  and  that  gave  her  an  uneasy  feeling  of  con 
straint  that  she  had  never  known  before  in  the 


"O  Time  and  Change"  123 

company  of  her  old  playfellow?  She  was  not  wise 
enough  to  analyze  it;  but  —  it  was  not  quite  fair  in 
Franz  to  speak  of  obligations  to  them,  just  as  if 
household  stuffs  and  silver  ornaments  could  pay  for 
the  tender  love  and  care  that  it  had  been  a  pleasure 
rather  than  a  task  to  bestow  upon  her  dear  old  friend. 
Why  could  n't  he  have  said  "  I  want  you  to  have 
Granny's  things  because  she  loved  you,  and  you  her," 
instead  of  "  You  deserve  them  for  taking  such  good 
care  of  her  "  ? 

Now  there  are,  as  we  know,  seven  primary  colors, 
and  no  one  who  is  not  color  blind  has  any  difficulty 
in  distinguishing  them.  But  it  requires  a  delicate, 
carefully  trained  eye  to  detect  the  thousand  and  one 
varying  shades  and  tints  so  wonderfully  blended  and 
absorbed  that  a  green  field  may,  in  some  lights,  strike 
the  eye  as  a  vivid  yellow,  while  the  fog  wreaths 
slowly  dropping  at  sunrise  from  some  far-off  moun 
tain  peak  may  assume  in  turn  the  softened,  uncertain 
hues  of  red,  indigo,  and  violet,  without  actually  repre 
senting  either  of  these  colors  as  a  color. 

Thus  with  human  nature  in  its  varying  capacities 
for  feeling  and  sentiment.  Where  one  sensitive, 
finely  wrought  temperament  feels  the  slightest  in 
equality,  the  least  jar  upon  its  sensibilities,  the  great 
mass  remain  comfortably  unconscious  that  there  is 
any  jar,  —  and  if  the  red  is  only  red  enough,  and  the 
blue  is  of  the  conventional  indigo,  they  can  neither 
see  nor  feel  the  smallest  lack  in  themselves  or  in  the 
world  about  them. 

Franz  would  not  for  the  world  have  hurt  the  feel 
ings  of  the  little  friend  whom  he  loved  dearly,  after 


i  24  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

his  honest,  unsentimental  boy  fashion,  any  sooner  in 
fact  than  the  girl  herself  would  have  given  speech  to 
the  vague  discomfort  that  his  words  had  caused  her. 
Those  few  short  months  of  separation  had  wrought  a 
change  in  the  relations  between  them,  so  subtile  and 
undefined  that  only  the  sensitive,  impulsive  nature  of 
the  girl-woman  detected  it,  and  without  putting  the 
feeling  into  words,  shrank  timidly  into  herself  when 
the  silver  cross  was  referred  to,  while  with  an  em 
barrassment  for  which  she  could  not  herself  have 
accounted,  she  hesitated  to  speak  of  the  prophecy 
and  the  circumstances  under  which  the  gift  of  the 
treasured  heirloom  had  been  made. 

If  it  should  come  true,  and  Franz  become  rich  and 
famous  through  her  instrumentality,  it  would  be  time 
enough  then  to  tell  him  of  the  old  dame's  partial  pre 
diction.  And  with  this  resolve  once  made,  the  un 
easiness  that  had  troubled  her  vanished,  and  with  all 
the  old,  tender  interest  she  listened  to  the  story  of 
his  new  life,  and  laughed  and  wondered  by  turns 
over  the  oddities  and  peculiarities  of  the  people  with 
whom  he  had  come  in  contact. 

"  Mr.  Humbre  has  been  real  good  to  me,"  he  de 
clared  gratefully,  as,  gladly  forsaking  the  chilly, 
darkened  cottage,  the  two  seated  themselves  upon 
a  big,  flat  stone  just  outside  the  door,  where  the 
humming  of  the  bees  and  the  soft  purling  of  the 
little  brook  close  to  their  feet  made  a  pleasantly 
familiar  music  to  their  accustomed  ears.  "  He  comes 
into  the  foundry  to  see  me  every  once  in  a  while, 
and  twice  he 's  invited  me  to  his  house  to  dinner 
Sundays." 


"  O  Time  and  Change  "  125 

Comfort's  bright  face  beamed  with  pride  and 
pleasure. 

"  How  good  that  was  in  him  !  "  she  cried  heartily. 
"  But,"  with  a  touch  of  feminine  curiosity,  "  is  he 
married?  You  said  his  house." 

"  Oh,  no.  He  and  his  mother,  —  she  's  a  widow,  — 
and  his  sister,  Miss  Delphine,  and  Lois  Gregory,  all 
live  together  in  a  splendid,  great  house.  Why," 
warming  with  his  subject,  "  you  never  saw  such  fine 
things  as  they  have.  Their  forks  are  silver,  —  just 
think  of  it,  solid  silver  forks,  —  and  the  teapot,  and 
pitcher,  and  sugar-bowl  all  silver,  too." 

His  listener  drew  a  long  breath  of  mingled  wonder 
and  delight. 

"  And  such  a  dinner !  Turkey,  and  all  the  nice 
fixin's  with  it ;  and  after  we  'd  got  through  with  that, 
the  hired  girl  cleared  off  the  dishes  and  passed  round 
plates  with  two  or  three  kinds  of  pie  on  'em,  and 
after  that  —  what  do  you  guess?  " 

Comfort  shook  her  head ;  such  unheard-of  luxury 
fairly  took  away  her  breath. 

"  Well,  we  had  oranges  and  grapes,  —  great  white 
fellers,  sweet  as  honey,  —  and  raisins  and  nuts  to  top 
off  with.  Lois  Gregory  slipped  her  orange  into  her 
pocket,  and  Mis'  Humbre  told  me  to,  if  I  wanted  to." 

"But  the  folks  themselves?"  broke  in  Comfort, 
with  glowing  cheeks.  "  Is  Mr.  Humbre's  mother  as 
nice  as  he  is?  and  what  is  Miss  Delphine  like?  and 
who  is  Lois  Gregory?" 

Franz  laughed,  the  old,  happy  laugh  that  was  so 
pleasant  to  hear. 

"  One  at  a  time,  Comfort,  —  one  at  a  time.     Yes  — 


1 26  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

no — well,  Mis'  Humbre  is  kind  o'  nice,  and  kind  o' 
not.  She  means  to  be  good  and  pleasant,  I  guess, 
but  she  makes  you  feel  all  the  time  as  if  she  was 
standin'  on  a  high  ladder,  and  handin'  things  down  to 
you.  Miss  Delphine  is  funny  and  bright,  but  she  's 
that  sharp  that  you  never  know  just  how  to  take  'er ; 
and  Lois  Gregory  is  —  " 

"What?"  insisted  Comfort,  greatly  interested. 

"  Well,  she  's  a  girl  about  your  age  I  should  say, 
and  Mr.  Humbre  is  her  gardeen,  because  her  father 
and  mother  are  both  dead,  and  she  has  n't  any 
relations  to  look  out  for  her." 

"My  age?"  repeated  the  girl,  curiously.  "And 
what  is  she  like?  How  does  she  look,  and  is  she 
pleasant  to  know?  " 

Franz's  face  grew  very  red  and  he  gave  a  vicious 
poke  with  his  foot  at  a  harmless  toad  that  had  crept 
out  into  the  grateful  sunshine. 

"  Oh,  land  !  She  's  too  high  and  mighty  to  notice  a 
poor  boy  like  me.  She  's  been  brought  up  a  lady, 
and  knows  almost  everything,  and  Mr.  Humbre 
wanted  her  to  play  the  planner  when  I  was  there,  but 
she  crawled  out  of  it,  pretending  she  had  a  headache. 
I  caught  her  pokin'  fun  at  my  big  boots,  and  when  I 
dropped  my  fork  at  the  table  she  giggled  right  out." 

"  The  mean,  hateful  thing !  "  cried  Comfort  indig 
nantly,  "  to  treat  you  like  that,  and  you  company,  too." 

"We  — 11,  yes,  'twas  mean  in  'er,"  assented  the 
boy  with  a  reluctance  that  made  his  companion 
regard  him  with  wondering  eyes.  "But  I  met  her 
next  day  on  the  street,  and  she  smiled  and  bowed  as 
if  I  'd  been  a  king,  —  and  I  was  in  my  old  workin' 


"O  Time  and  Change"  127 

clo'es,  too.  She  's  as  pretty  as  a  picture,  with  black 
eyes  that  seem  always  laughing  at  you,  and  hair  curling 
in  little  rings  all  round  her  face.  And  you  never  saw 
such  pretty  little  dimpled  hands, — just  like  a  baby's." 

"  I  don't  suppose  that  she  has  the  dishes  to  wash," 
remarked  Comfort  meekly,  with  an  unconscious 
glance  at  her  own  brown  and  roughened  palms. 

"  Oh,  no  indeed  !  "  cried  Franz  calmly  unconscious 
of  the  mild  sarcasm  underlying  his  companion's  very 
natural  comment.  "  They  have  lots  of  help  to  do  the 
work.  Ladies  like  them  don't  work,  you  know." 

Comfort  smiled,  but  there  was  a  little  ache  at  her 
heart  as  she  said,  half  sadly: 

"  It  must  be  a  fine  thing  to  be  pretty  and  rich,  and 
have  all  the  time  you  want  to  study  or  play.  But  I 
guess  I  'd  rather  have  a  mother  to  love  and  work  for, 
after  all.  And  that  makes  me  think,"  slowly  rising 
from  her  seat,  and  drawing  over  her  face  the  sun- 
bonnet  that  had  fallen  unheeded  upon  her  shoulders 
as  she  listened  to  Franz's  talk,  "  that  it  is  time  I  was 
at  home  seeing  to  the  dinner.  I  get  almost  all  the 
dinners  now,"  she  explained  in  reply  to  his  surprised 
look,  "  for  mother  hardly  ever  gets  up  much  before 
noon.  She  has  n't  been  well  since,  —  "  she  stopped 
short,  and  a  hot  flush  overspread  her  face,  as  she 
added  after  a  moment's  pause,  —  "  since  last  winter." 

But  Franz  did  not  notice  her  confusion.  His 
thoughts  were  elsewhere,  and  calling  to  her  to  wait 
until  he  had  locked  the  door,  he  walked  along  beside 
her,  laughing  and  chatting,  the  same  and  yet  not  the 
same  boy  with  whom  she  had  walked  this  same  path 
only  one  short  year  before. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  THIN  EDGE  OF  THE  WEDGE 

FRANZ  won  golden  opinions  from  the  thrifty 
Squire  by  the  shrewd,  manful  way  in  which  he 
went  to  work  to  wind  up  affairs,  and  dispose  of  the 
few  effects  that  had  belonged  to  Granny.  The  half- 
dozen  acres  about  the  cottage,  adjoining  as  it  did  his 
own  back  pasture,  was  readily  purchased  by  the 
Squire  for  a  new,  crisp  ten-dollar  bill,  —  a  very  fair 
price  for  it  considering  that  the  soil  was  too  thin  and 
poor  to  be  of  any  use  as  farming  land,  and  the  timber 
was  small  and  scraggy,  consisting  largely  of  stunted 
white  birches  and  ragged  cedars,  that  made  one 
think  of  a  family  of  half-starved  children  under  the 
rule  of  the  proverbial  step-mother,  cuffed  and  buf 
feted  by  the  merciless  sea  gales,  and  kept  on  the 
scanty  commons  that  the  poverty-stricken,  ungener 
ous  earth  was  loath  to  provide  them. 

"  The  cottage  would  make  a  good  shingle  camp," 
reasoned  the  buyer,  "  and  there  was  a  fair  show 
of  cedar  in  the  vicinity  that  would  work  up  into 
shingles,  and  keep  the  boys  out  of  mischief  through 
the  long  winter  days  and  evenings." 

The  bees,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  found  no  ready 
purchaser  in  the  little  hamlet.  Nobody  wanted  "the 
bother"  of  them,  those  who  already  kept  bees  having 
an  idea  that  the  introduction  of  a  strange  swarm 


The  Thin  Edge  of  the  Wedge         129 

would  give  such  offence  to  the  present  tenants  that 
they  would  desert  in  a  body ;  while  those  who  had 
had  no  experience  in  bee-raising  regarded  the  touchy 
little  insects  as  a  nuisance,  to  which  it  was  best  to 
give  as  wide  a  berth  as  possible.  Franz  did  n't  really 
know  what  to  do  with  them. 

"  Granny  used  to  sell  a  good  deal  of  honey  in  the 
course  of  the  year,"  he  said  to  Comfort,  as  they 
stood  together  beside  the  fresh-springing,  spicy- 
breathed  catnip  patch  about  which  the  bees  were 
humming,  evidently  impatient  for  the  appearance  of 
the  purple  honey-cups.  "  If  I  could  get  anybody 
to  look  out  for  them,  — they  don't  need  a  great  deal 
of  care,  —  they  could  have  all  the  honey  they  wanted 
for  themselves,  and  if  there  was  any  to  sell  we  could 
divide  the  profits  between  us." 

With  a  thoughtful  face,  Comfort  slowly  wound  and 
unwound  the  strings  of  her  calico  sunbonnet  around 
one  slender  brown  finger,  as  she  said  hesitatingly  : 

"  /  might,  I  suppose.  Granny  showed  me  just 
how  to  manage  them,  and  I  ain't  a  bit  afraid  of  them 
nor  they  of  me.  Perhaps,  —  well,  if  father  will  let 
me,  I  will  take  care  of  them  for  you." 

"  I  don't  doubt  you  could  as  well  as  anybody"  (he 
would  have  believed  her  capable  of  flying  if  she  had 
claimed  that  power), —  "but  your  father  hates  bees. 
I  've  heard  him  say  so  time  an'  ag'in,  and  I  don't 
believe  he  'd  agree  to  your  keepin'  'em." 

"You  can  ask  him?" 

Yes  he  could,  and  did,  and  strange  to  say,  won  his 
consent  to  the  arrangement.  In  truth,  it  astonished 
the  Squire's  family  not  a  little  the  favor  that  he  act- 

9 


130 


A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 


ually  put  himself  out  to  show  to  the  grandson  of 
Granny  Hedvig.  They  could  not  know  what  a  pan 
acea  it  was  to  his  terribly  wounded  family  pride  to 
be  able  to  oblige  in  any  way  one  who  might,  he  well 
knew,  have  treated  his  advances  with  a  scornful  con 
tempt  that  would,  under  the  circumstances,  have 
added  greatly  to  his  inward  humiliation. 

Franz,  the  soul  of  candor  and  justice,  never  on  his 
part,  after  the  first  bitterness  of  the  discovery  of 
Dave's  complicity  in  the  cruel  frolic  that  led  to  poor 
Granny's  death  had  passed  away,  even  thought  of 
such  a  thing  as  blaming  the  innocent  members  of 
the  family.  He  accepted  the  Squire's  friendly  over 
tures  with  the  same  frank,  unsuspiciousness  that  he 
did  those  of  the  wife  and  daughter,  while  Jotham's 
surly  avoidance  of  his  company,  no  less  than  Isaac's 
undesirable  effusiveness,  was  so  perfectly  in  keeping 
with  the  character  of  each  that  he  thought  little  of  it 
anyway. 

Summer  was  close  at  hand  before  the  youth  was 
ready  to  return  to  the  city  and  his  work,  and  for 
several  reasons  it  was  a  season  long  to  be  remem 
bered  by  the  various  actors  in  our  little  neighbor 
hood  drama.  First  and  foremost,  it  brought  to  the 
Widow  Scripture  applications  for  board  from  so 
many  summer  tourists  that,  spurred  on  by  her  few 
enterprising  neighbors,  and  by  Tabby,  who  had  sun 
dry  little  ambitions  of  her  own,  she  decided  to  build 
an  "  addition,"  and  after  the  fashion  of  her  day  and 
kind,  she  hastened  to  talk  it  over  with  each  neighbor 
in  turn,  explaining  the  reasons  why  she  felt  called 
upon  to  take  such  an  unprecedented  step,  as  well  as 


The  Thin  Edge  of  the  Wedge         i  3 1 

the  character  of  the  change  that  she  proposed  mak 
ing  in  the  unpretentious  farmhouse  that  had  served 
her  so  faithfully  as  a  peaceful  and  comfortable  home 
for  more  than  a  score  of  years. 

"  You  see,"  she  explained  to  Mrs.  Hadlock,  as, 
knitting  in  hand,  she  settled  herself  for  a  neighborly 
afternoon  chat,  —  "You  see,  Mr.  Humbre,  he  wants 
me  to  take  his  mother  an'  sister,  an'  a  Miss  Ward, 
—  his  ward  he  calls  'er,  so  I  s'pose  she's  his  intended. 
An'  there 's  four  more  o'  them  painter  fellers  that 
wants  board,  an'  a  sick  man  an'  his  little  boy.  I 
did  think  of  fixin'  up  field  beds  in  the  shed  chamber, 
an'  me  an'  Tabby  sleepin'  in  the  barn.  But  we  con 
cluded  that  bein'  city  folks  they  might  object  to 
sleepin'  in  that  way,  so  the  best  we  could  do  seemed 
to  be  to  build  on." 

Mrs.  Hadlock's  pale  face  was  all  aglow  with  in 
terest.  Poor  soul,  any  diversion  from  her  own  sad 
thoughts  was  a  godsend. 

"Where  are  you  goin'  to  put  your  addition?"  she 
asked. 

"  I  'm  goin'  to  put  on  a  two-story  front." 

The  words  were  a  whole  mouthful,  as  the  widow 
rounded  and  emphasized  them  to  give  due  effect  to 
their  importance. 

"  Why,  how  you  talk !  "  exclaimed  her  awestruck 
listener.  "  That  '11  make  it  big  enough  for  a  tavern." 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  on  four  good-sized  sleepin'  rooms 
up  stairs  an'  two  down.  I  shall  take  what 's  the 
south  front  room  now  to  feed  'em  in,  an'  they  can 
set  in  the  new  front  room  on  the  off  side  o'  the  entry. 
There's  one  thing  I  shall  insist  on,  —  yes,  two, — 


132  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

an'  that  is,  I  won't  have  the  wimmin  folks  dabbin' 
round  in  the  kitchen,  washin'  out  a  handkerchief  or  a 
pair  o'  stockin's,  an'  wantin'  the  flatirons  jest  when  I 
want  to  be  usin'  'em  myself.  Female  boarders  make 
an  awful  sight  o'  bother  that  way.  An'  the  other  is, 
I  shall  make  a  p'int  of  havin'  my  meals  right  on  the 
dot,  whether  there  's  anybody  there  to  eat  'em  or  not. 
Why,  Mis'  Hadlock,"  warming  with  her  pet  griev 
ance,  "  an  angel  from  heaven  could  n't  keep  a  man's 
dinner  standin'  f  r  an  hour  after  't  was  cooked  an' 
have  it  fit  to  eat." 

"  But,"  ventured  her  friend,  "  if  these  people  pay 
handsomely  for  their  board  they  '11  expect  privileges. 
An'  if  they  won't  always  be  on  time  to  their  meals 
what  can  you  do  ?  " 

"  I  '11  give  'em  a  cold  dinner  or  two,  an'  that  '11 
bring  'em  to  their  fodder,  I  guess.  They  need  n't 
think  I  'm  goin'  to  all  this  trouble  and  expense  jest  f  r 
their  convenience.  Keepin'  boarders  f'r  fun?  Not 
by  a  long  chalk.  I  can  live  without  them,  thank  the 
good  Lord !  but  they  'd  find  it  a  hard  scratch  to  get 
along  without  me,  —  here,  at  any  rate." 

"  They  say,"  interrupted  the  Squire,  who  had  en 
tered  the  room  while  the  widow  was  speaking,  "  that 
the  pictures  that  Mr.  Humbre  and  all  the  other  artists 
have  painted  of  places  hereabouts  have  set  folks  all 
over  the  country  crazy  to  come  and  see  for  them 
selves  what  Mount  Desert  is  like.  If  that 's  so,  you 
mark  my  words,  't  won't  be  long  before  there  '11  be 
more  boarders  than  there  '11  be  folks  to  board  'em." 

"Oh,  dear,  I  hope  not,"  faltered  Mrs.  Hadlock, 
timidly.  "  Such  an  army  of  'em  !  Why,  they  'd  take 


The  Thin  Edge  of  the  Wedge         133 

the  bread  right  out  of  our  children's  mouths.  They  'd 
eat  everything  up  in  the  summer  so  't  when  it  come 
winter  we  should  have  a  regular  famine,  such  as  they 
had  in  these  parts  in  them  cold  seasons  that  I  've 
heard  my  mother  tell  about." 

The  Squire  laughed  scornfully. 

"  Don't  you  worry  about  that  yet  awhile.  Let  'em 
come,  /  say.  We  '11  find  room  and  vittles  for  'em  as 
long  as  they  pay  a  fair  price  for  'em.  The  more 
boarders,  the  more  money,"  he  added,  facetiously. 

And  the  widow,  comprehending  his  idea,  laughed 
and  nodded  her  approval. 

Tabby,  too,  had  her  own  plans  and  ambitions, 
some  of  which  would  have  astonished  her  prudent 
mother  beyond  measure  if  the  young  woman  had 
been  incautious  enough  to  make  a  confidante  of  her, 
which  she  was  not.  In  Comfort's  ear  alone  she 
poured  the  story  of  her  hopes  and  aspirations,  too 
secure  in  her  own  fancied  sagacity  and  knowledge  of 
the  world  to  fear  any  adverse  criticism  from  her 
modest  neighbor.  Life  was  such  a  tiresome,  one- 
horse  affair  in  that  out  of  the  way  corner  of  the 
world ;  and  a  girl,  let  her  be  ever  so  smart  and  hand 
some,  stood  no  chance  at  all  of  marrying  well  unless 
she  could  get  acquainted  with  some  rich  young  folks 
outside. 

"  What  I  Ve  planned,"  confided  Tabby,  with  a 
calm  certainty  that  astonished  her  listener  not  a  little, 
"  is  to  make  friends  with  some  of  ma's  female  board 
ers,  an'  get  an  invitation  to  come  and  visit  'em  in  the 
city,  in  the  winter.  Then  they  '11  take  me  round  an' 
introduce  me  to  everybody,  of  course,  and  — 


1 34  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  What?  "  asked  simple  Comfort. 

Tabby  laughed,  and  tossed  her  buxom  head  with  a 
knowing  air. 

"  How  can  I  tell?  Time  will  show.  But  I  know 
one  thing,"  stiffening  up  so  suddenly  that  the  stiffly 
starched  folds  of  her  indigo  calico  rustled  as  aggress 
ively  as  if  they  had  been  of  the  costliest  brocade, 
"  an'  that  is,  I  '11  have  something  fit  to  wear  out  of 
this  summer's  work,  or  I'  11  know  the  reason  why." 

Comfort  drew  a  tired  sigh.  She  had  nothing 
against  Tabby,  but  somehow  she  always  wearied  her 
terribly  with  her  confidences.  One  must  be  an  angel 
of  unselfishness  or  very  much  in  love  with  the 
speaker  to  be  very  long  interested  in  a  conversation 
that  has  forever  as  its  objective  point  the  all  impor 
tant  "  I."  But  Tabby  liked  to  talk,  and  she  liked 
equally  well  to  hear  Tabby  talk,  especially  if  she 
talked  about  Tabby,  so  she  went  on  with  undim- 
inished  relish: 

"  I  'm  bound  to  have  a  new  delaine  dress  made 
with  a  spencer,  and  a  pair  of  green  morocco  shoes, 
and  a  string  of  blue  beads,  and  a  sunshade.  And 
then,  —  well,  I  guess  if  there  's  anything  left  over, 
I  '11  have  my  picture  taken." 

Comfort  laughed  merrily. 

"  You  '11  be  fine  enough  with  all  your  new  clothes 
to  want  a  picture  of  yourself,  but,"  with  a  sudden 
remembrance  of  what  Franz  had  told  her  about  these 
same  people  who  were  to  serve  the  aspiring  Tabby 
as  a  ladder  upon  which  she  was  to  climb  to  social 
distinction,  "  do  you  suppose  that  Mr.  Humbre's 
folks  will  be  as  pleasant  and  easy  to  please  as  he  is? 


The  Thin  Edge  of  the  Wedge         135 

Franz  says  they  're  rich  and  have  everything  splendid 
at  home,  so  I  should  be  afraid  they  'd  be  kind  o' 
proud  and  set  up." 

Tabby  tossed  her  head  with  an  air  of  saucy  assur 
ance. 

"  They  won't  try  none  of  their  stuck-up  airs  on 
us,"  she  said,  loftily.  "  We  're  to  hum  here,  an'  if 
strangers  want  to  come  an'  look  round,  we  '11  treat 
'em  civil,  but  we  won't  stand  no  crowdin'  nor  pushin' 
from  nobody,  —  not  if  't  was  the  President  himself. 
We  ain't  the  kind  to  sell  our  birthright  f  r  a  mess  o' 
potash." 

Ah,  Tabby,  remember  the  text,  "  Let  not  him  who 
putteth  on  his  armor  boast  as  him  who  taketh  it  off." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

"  BLAZING "   THE   WAY  FOR   FASHION 

"  TT  is  so  dull,  and  last  night  I  could  n't  sleep  at 

•*•  all  with  the  tiresome  beat,  beat  of  those  horrid 
waves  on  the  shore.  It  was  dreadful,  and  I  honestly 
believe  it  will  do  me  more  harm  than  good  to  spend 
the  summer  here." 

Mrs.  Humbre  was  a  fair,  delicate-featured  woman, 
with  a  low,  soft,  dependent  voice  in  which  the  quer 
ulous  note  was  just  now  decidedly  prominent.  Her 
slender  white  hands,  rather  shrivelled,  as  the  looseness 
of  the  costly  rings  that  glittered  upon  her  idle  fingers 
made  evident,  were  folded  upon  or  rather  half-buried 
in  the  snowy  fleece  of  her  knitted  breakfast  shawl, 
while  with  one  daintily  slippered  foot  she  tapped 
listlessly  upon  the  small  parti-colored  mat  that  her 
son  Robert  had  brought  with  the  rocking  chair  out 
upon  the  piazza,  for  her  use,  immediately  after  break 
fast. 

"  Now  be  sure  to  stay  out  here  in  this  pure,  sweet 
air  just  as  long  as  you  can,"  had  been  his  parting  ad 
monition,  as  he  stooped  to  leave  a  good  bye  kiss 
upon  her  withered  cheek,  —  a  boyish  habit  he  had 
never  outgrown.  "  I  expect  great  things  for  you 
from  this  summer  by  the  sea." 

And  as  he  shouldered  his  artist's  "  traps,"  and  with 
his  two  friends  set  off  down  the  road  at  an  easy, 


"Blazing"  the  Way  for  Fashion      137 

swinging  gait,  his  well-knit  figure  seemed  the  person 
ification  of  manly  strength  and  vigor,  while  the  group 
upon  the  piazza  looked  after  him  with  varying  emo 
tions  of  pride,  affection,  and  wonder. 

"  Robert  is  a  fine-looking  man,"  remarked  his 
mother  with  pardonable  pride.  "  If  he  would  only 
be  a  little  more  particular  about  his  dress  I  'm  sure 
there  are  few  men  who  could  compare  with  him." 

She  glanced  at  her  daughter,  but  Miss  Delphine 
was  sharpening  her  pencil,  and  for  a  moment  did  not 
answer,  and  when  she  did  speak  it  was  in  reply  to  a 
question  from  Lois  as  to  the  intended  route  of  the 
sketching  party  for  the  day: 

"To  Eagle  Lake,  I  believe  —  that's  where  they  were 
planning  last  night  to  go  to-day.  Robert  knows  all 
the  most  beautiful  places,  he  has  been  here  so  much, 
and  he  never  is  selfish  even  in  his  most  precious 
'  finds.'  He  is  always  willing  to  show  the  others  his 
own  pet  haunts,  which  is  saying  a  good  deal  for  the 
generosity  of  an  artist." 

Lois  yawned  and  looked  longingly  in  the  direction 
of  the  shore.  "  Come,  Cousin  Del,"  she  said  coax- 
ingly,  "  let 's  go  down  on  the  beach  and  see  what  we 
can  find.  Robert  says  there  's  some  of  the  loveliest 
pebbles  and  shells  that  would  do  for  my  aquarium." 

Miss  Delphine  gave  a  good-humored  nod  as  she 
busied  herself  in  arranging  upon  the  stand  before  her 
her  drawing  paper,  and  a  soup  plate  containing  a  very 
unpromising  but  evidently  curious  specimen  of  the 
short-tailed  crab  common  in  that  vicinity,  and  which 
she  had  captured  in  her  early  morning  walk  before 
the  party  were  astir. 


138  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  Wait  till  I  draw  this  fellow's  picture,  and  then  I  '11 
go  with  pleasure,  —  if  mother  can  spare  us." 

Mrs.  Humbre  nodded  her  permission,  but  at  the 
same  time  drew  her  chair  a  little  farther  away,  while 
Lois,  for  want  of  something  better  to  do,  leaned  over 
its  back,  and  while  softly  stroking  her  hair,  —  smooth 
and  glossy  as  gray  satin  beneath  the  delicate  bit  of 
lace  called  by  courtesy  a  cap,  —  chatted  in  the 
low,  soothing  tone  that  the  elder  lady  especially 
enjoyed. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it  all,  auntie?  Do  you 
suppose  that  you  can  manage  to  be  comfortable  here 
for  three  whole  months?" 

"  Really  I  don't  know,  but  I  would  be  willing  to 
stay  almost  anywhere  to  please  Robert."  And  the 
sigh  that  accompanied  the  words  was  as  soft  and 
sweet  as  the  breath  of  an  aeolian  harp,  —  Mrs.  Humbre 
did  nothing  ungracefully. 

"  The  rooms  are  very  bare  and  plain,"  went  on  the 
lady,  "  but  they  are  clean  and  airy,  and,  as  Robert 
says,  we  did  n't  come  here  to  find  luxuries,  unless  we 
count  the  sea  air  and  bathing  such.  The  woman 
herself  seems  a  good  cook  and  housekeeper,  but,  oh 
Lois  !  did  you  notice  how  disgustingly  familiar  she 
was?  Shaking  hands  with  Robert  as  if  he'd  been  an 
old  friend,  and  asking  if  his  '  ma  and  the  other  wim- 
min  folks  wa'  n't  jest  about  tuckered  out?'  It  was 
perfectly  ridiculous,  such  assurance." 

Lois  laughed,  and  patted  caressingly  the  faded 
cheek. 

"  They  're  awfully  funny,  both  the  woman  and  the 
girl,  and  I  mean  to  have  heaps  of  fun  with  them.  Do 


"Blazing"  the  Way  for  Fashion      139 

you  know  I  caught  that  Tabby,  as  her  mother  calls 
her,  cutting  the  pattern  of  my  plaid  wrap  this  morn 
ing.  She  did  n't  know  that  I  was  up,  and  when  she 
did  see  me  looking  right  at  her,  she  did  n't  seem  a 
bit  abashed,  just  went  on  with  her  work,  and  when 
she'd  finished,  hung  it  up  again  with  a  nod  at  me, 
and  a  '  much  obleeged.'  But  I  '11  have  fun  enough 
out  of  her  to  pay  for  it." 

"  They  're  dreadfully  ignorant  and  presuming," 
sighed  Mrs.  Humbre,  unmindful  of  the  mischief  in 
Lois's  black  eyes,  "  and  nothing  seems  to  daunt  them. 
They  act  exactly  as  if  we  were  invited  guests,  and 
that  part  of  their  duty  was  to  entertain  us." 

"  Cousin  Robert  does  n't  seem  to  mind  it,"  sug 
gested  the  girl  demurely. 

His  mother  made  a  gesture  of  annoyance. 

"  He  's  used  to  their  ways,  and  does  n't  care  how 
much  they  talk  if  they  only  serve  his  meals  well,  and 
keep  things  neat  and  clean  about  him.  But  with 
ladies,  of  course,  it's  different,  and  I'm  terribly 
afraid,"  sinking  her  voice  to  a  mysterious  whisper, 
"  that  they  '11  take  the  liberty  of  intruding  their  com 
pany  upon  us  whenever  they  feel  like  it.  The  idea 
came  to  me  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  and  it  worried 
me  so  that  I  never  closed  my  eyes  until  after  day 
light  Now  I  cannot  bear  that." 

"Tell  them  so  then,"  interpolated  Miss  Delphine, 
putting  the  finishing  touch  to  one  of  the  crab's  legs, 
and  holding  the  picture  up  to  get  a  good  look  at  it. 
"  If  you  don't  want  their  company,  say  so." 

"  Oh,  dear !  I  could  n  't  bear  such  a  scene  in  my 
weak  state  of  health,"  cried  the  poor  lady,  really 


140  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

terrified  at  the  idea  of  asserting  herself  in  the  face  of 
this  big,  masterful  daughter  of  the  people.  Then  as 
a  heavy  step  sounded  upon  the  floor,  she  added  help 
lessly,  "  There  she  comes  now ;  don't  for  the  world 
have  any  words  with  her,  for  if  I  am  unable  to  awe 
her  with  my  presence,  it  will  be  much  better  to  let 
Robert  manage  affairs  for  us." 

Her  daughter  made  no  reply,  and  the  next  moment 
the  calico  short  gown  and  wide  blue  apron  came  full 
sail  around  the  corner,  their  wearer  bearing  on  her 
arm  a  big  basket  of  peas,  and  in  one  hand  a  splint- 
bottomed  chair  which  she  hastened  to  plant  in  Mrs. 
Humbre's  close  vicinity,  while  with  a  face  beaming 
as  much  with  hospitable  good-will  as  with  the  heat 
and  exertion  of  picking  the  peas,  she  remarked 
complacently  : 

"  Well,  this  is  what  I  call  good  growin'  weather. 
I  sowed  these  peas  the  twenty-first  day  of  April,  — 
ruther  early  the  neighbors  said,  but  peas  '11  stand  a 
sight  of  cold.  Now  you  see,"  holding  out  a  handful 
of  the  plump  pods,  "  these  air  as  well  filled  as  any 
body 'd  want.  Do  you  raise  yer  own  vegetables?" 
after  waiting  a  moment  for  a  response. 

"  Certainly  not.  The  market  supplies  us  with 
them  in  abundance."  An  icicle  would  have  been 
warm  compared  to  Mrs.  Humbre's  tone,  but  the 
widow  evidently  took  no  notice  of  it. 

"  How  do  you  like  the  looks  of  things  about  here, 
so  fur?"  she  asked  with  a  glance  about  her  of  com 
fortable  proprietorship.  "  We  kalkilate  on  doin'  our 
best  f'r  strangers,  an'  if  they  ain't  satisfied  it's  their 
own  fault." 


"Blazing"  the  Way  for  Fashion       141 

Lois  giggled,  and  Miss  Delphine  bent  lower  over 
her  drawing,  but  to  poor  Mrs.  Humbre  it  was  no 
laughing  matter,  and  she  replied  very  stiffly  and  with 
all  the  dignity  she  could  muster  for  the  occasion : 

"  The  place  is  pretty  enough.  But  as  I  came  here 
for  my  health  alone,  I  shall  want  to  be  very  quiet  and 
free  from  outside  intrusion." 

"  Oh,  law !  you  need  n't  worry  about  that,"  cried 
the  widow,  cheerily,  stirring  up  the  peapods  with 
so  energetic  a  hand  that  her  guest's  sensitive  nerves 
were  all  a-quiver  with  actual  pain.  "  I  don't  imagine 
many  of  the  neighbors  will  call,  —  you  see,  it 's  a 
pretty  busy  time  o'  year  just  now.  But  honestly 
now,  'f  I  was  you,  I  'd  try  ter  make  some  acquain 
tances.  You  Ve  no  idea  how  good  company  kind  o' 
chirks  a  body  up  when  they  get  spleeny  and  down 
sperited." 

Mrs.  Humbre  sank  back  in  her  chair  with  such  a 
dismayed  face  that  her  daughter  felt  it  high  time  to 
come  to  the  rescue : 

"  See,  Lois,"  and  she  held  up  a  half-completed 
picture  so  that  all  could  see  it,  "  How  is  that?  " 

The  widow  stopped  shelling  peas,  and  looked  curi 
ously  at  the  pencilled  figure. 

"  That 's  meant  f 'r  a  crab,  ain't  it?  "  she  asked. 

Delphine  meekly  replied  that  it  was,  then  turning 
her  batteries  upon  the  unsuspecting  widow,  she  pro 
ceeded  to  put  that  worthy  woman  through  a  series  of 
investigations  that  might  have  struck  terror  to  the 
heart  of  the  boldest  scientist. 

"  Yes,  I  am  greatly  interested  in  the  molluscs,  and 
I  have  come  here  this  summer  on  purpose  to  study 


142  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

them.  I  suppose  there  are  plenty  of  the  Cephalo- 
peda  hereabouts,  both  naked  and  testaceous?" 

She  paused  for  a  reply,  but  for  once  the  widow's 
tongue  refused  to  do  its  duty,  and  she  only  stared 
at  her  interlocutor  with  a  look  of  such  helpless  be 
wilderment  that  Lois  was  almost  convulsed  with  the 
laughter  that  she  dared  not  give  vent  to. 

"  Wae-ell,  yes.      I  dunno  as  I  rightly  understand." 

"  Oh,  you  know  the  species  I  mean,"  cried  Miss 
Delphine  with  the  most  innocent  smile  that  ever  was 
seen. 

"  They  have  neither  spine  nor  bones,  and  the  nerv 
ous  system  consists  of  nervous  knobs,  —  the  ganglia  as 
they  are  called,  —  that  give  off  filamentous  nerves 
in  all  directions.  Living  here  all  your  life,  you  must 
be  familiar  with  the  bivalve  molluscs,  the  Pectenjace- 
bus  and  the  Ostra  edulis,  yes  Mytiluse  dulis,  —  you 
know  them,  of  course?  " 

"  No,  thank  the  Lord  !  I  never  heard  of  sech  mon 
sters  in  these  parts,"  gasped  the  widow,  squirming 
like  a  half-boiled  lobster.  "  I  don't  see,"  with  a 
mighty  effort  to  assert  herself,  "  how  sech  lies  could 
'a'  got  round  about  us.  We  're  poor,  honest,  workin' 
farmer  an'  fisher  folks,  an'  we  hain't  got  no  canni 
bals  nor  even  savages  amongst  us." 

"  But  the  Decapods?"  urged  the  new  boarder  with 
undiminished  zeal  and  hopefulness,  "I  know  there  are 
plenty  of  them  here.  There  's  the  Cancer  pagurus  and 
the  Pagurus  Bernhardus,  Astacus  gammarus,  and  the 
Cragnon  vulgaris,  and,  —  " 

"  Good  Lord,  deliver  us  !  "  and  huddling  her  peas, 
pods  and  all,  into  her  apron,  the  discomfited  widow 


"Blazing"  the  Way  for  Fashion       143 

fairly  fled  the  field,  leaving  Miss  Delphine  to  join  her 
companions  in  a  merry  laugh  over  her  well-won 
victory. 

"  The  lobsters  and  shrimps  finished  her,"  declared 
Lois,  "  and  I  believe  they  would  me  if  I  had  to  call 
them  by  those  horrible  old  scientific  names.  Just 
think,  auntie  with  your  delicate  nerves  and  lungs, 
to  have  to  get  up  breath  enough  if  you  wanted  to  be 
helped  to  turkey,  to  say: 

"  I  '11  thank  you  for  some  of  the  Meleagris  gallofiave, 
with  a  bit  of  the  Ostreaediilis  stuffing." 

Mrs.  Humbre  smiled  languidly  at  her  favor 
ite's  wit,  and  Miss  Delphine  patted  her  shoulder 
approvingly. 

"You're  coming  on  famously,  after  all.  I'd  no 
idea  that  you  remembered  that  much  of  your  natural 
history  lesson.  And  now  as  a  reward,  I  '11  take  you 
with  me  this  afternoon  to  see  the  ruins  of  the  old 
Gregoire  house.  That  will  interest  you  if  the  jelly 
fish  and  sea  anemones  don't." 
Lois's  bright  face  was  all  aglow  with  delight. 

"That  will  be  just  splendid!"  she  cried.  "I 
dearly  love  to  know  all  about  the  people,  and  what 
they  did,  and  how  they  looked  who  lived  in  the  olden 
times.  You  know,  cousin  Del,  that  I  always  have 
my  history  lesson  perfect.  But  I  don't  like,  and  I 
never  shall,  to  handle  those  nasty,  slimy  things  that 
cling  to  the  wet  rocks  or  burrow  in  the  sand,  if  they 
are  interesting." 

"  Neither  do  I,"  interposed  Mrs.  Humbre  with  a 
dainty  shiver.  "  And  I  don't  think  such  studies  are 
either  becoming  or  ladylike.  For  my  part,"  with  a 


144  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

reproachful  look  at  her  evidently  unmoved  daughter, 
"  I  don't  see  where  Delphine  got  such  masculine 
tastes,  for  I  'm  sure  it  has  always  been  a  peculiarity 
of  the  ladies  of  my  family  that  they  either  fainted  or 
went  into  hysterics  at  the  sight  of  a  mouse  or  spider. 
My  mother  and  both  my  sisters  were  noted  for  their 
delicate  sensibilities." 

"  No  doubt,  no  doubt,"  returned  Miss  Delphine 
absently,  never  pausing  an  instant  in  her  work,  "  but 
my  sensibilities  are  not  a  bit  delicate,  you  know. 
Here,  you  rascal  (to  the  crab),  keep  still,  will  you?" 
tapping  him  on  the  head  with  her  pencil,  —  a  famil 
iarity  that  made  her  mother  shudder,  —  "I  never 
belonged  to  the  order  of 

'  Ribbons  and  laces, 
And  sweet,  pretty  faces,' 

but  I  honestly  believe  if  I  'd  been  born  a  man,  I  should 
have  made  a  famous  naturalist.  It 's  in  me." 

Mrs.  Humbre  shrugged  her  shoulders  with  a  pretty, 
half-petulant  air,  but  said  nothing.  They  had  been 
all  over  this  same  ground  a  hundred  times,  more  or 
less,  the  plan  of  attack  being  often  slightly  varied, 
while  the  defence  was  always  and  everywhere  the 
same,  —  natural  tastes  and  inclinations  so  strong  that 
even  the  disabilities  of  sex  and  position  could  not 
discourage  them. 

Mrs.  Humbre  was  one  of  those  unfortunate  hen 
mothers  who,  having  hatched  a  pair  of  ducklings, 
could  not  for  the  life  of  her  comprehend  the  longing 
that  possessed  them  to  paddle  in  forbidden  waters, 
rather  than  peck  their  grains  of  golden  corn  in  lux- 


"Blazing"  the  Way  for  Fashion      145 

urious  security  under  the  shade  of  the  traditional 
family  dock  and  pigweed.  Robert's  Bohemian  ten 
dencies  were  a  great  trial  to  her,  but  since  the  world, 
her  world,  had  condescended  to  honor  him  as  a 
rising  artist,  she  had  grown  very  proud  of  him, 
although  even  now  his  careless  indifference  to  the 
conventionalities  that  were  the  very  breath  of  her 
nostrils,  was  a  source  of  much  secret  annoyance  and 
regret.  But  in  her  daughter's  case  the  regrets  had 
far  more  of  the  bitterness  of  disappointed  maternal 
ambition  than  she  would  have  cared  to  acknowledge, 
even  while  she  bewailed  "  dear  Delphine's  unaccount 
able  fascination  for  scientific  studies."  A  great  belle 
in  her  youth,  and  even  now,  —  faded  and  aged  by 
ill  health  and  indolent  self  indulgence,  —  a  pretty, 
delicate  woman,  she  had  regarded  her  only  daughter's 
lack  of  personal  beauty  as  in  some  sense  a  slur  upon 
herself,  as  if  she  had  been  put  off  with  an  inferior 
article  in  lieu  of  something  commensurate  with  her 
own  charms. 

"  To  think,"  she  would  bemoan  to  her  confidential 
friends,  "  that  I  of  all  people,  should  be  the  mother 
of  such  a  plain  child  as  Delphine.  She  has  the 
Humbre  features,  —  well  enough  for  a  man,  but  so 
large  and  decided  that  they  make  a  woman  look  like 
an  Amazon.  And  such  a  figure !  no  more  waist  than 
my  pug  Flora.  Try?  of  course  I  tried,  faithfully, 
tearfully,  I  had  almost  said  prayerfully,  to  keep  stays 
on  her  when  she  was  young  enough  to  make  a  figure. 
But  she  would  n't  keep  them  on,  declared  she  could  n't 
breathe  in  them,  and  cut  the  laces  as  soon  as  she 
could  get  out  of  my  sight.  And  since  she  grew  up 


146  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

she  will  not  wear  them.  What  can  I  do?  She's  a 
sight  with  a  waist  like  that,  and  nobody  knows  it 
better  than  I,  but  I  can  only  suffer  in  silence." 

But  in  Lois  Gregory,  the  child  of  an  old  friend 
whose  death  Mrs.  Humbre  had  mourned  as  deeply  as 
it  was  in  her  nature  to  mourn  anybody,  the  disap 
pointed  mother  found  an  unlooked-for  panacea  for 
her  maternal  woes.  Pretty  and  graceful  from  her 
babyhood,  and  only  too  willing  as  she  grew  older 
to  employ  all  the  arts  of  dress  and  manner  to  enhance 
her  charms,  she  was  to  the  idle,  passt  woman  of  the 
world  a  resurrection  of  her  own  regretted  past,  —  a 
beautiful  creation,  that  under  her  training  and  tuition 
should  in  time  burst  upon  the  fashionable  world,  a 
vision  of  dazzling  loveliness,  in  whose  rosy  reflection 
she  might  once  more  taste  something  of  the  proud 
triumphs  of  her  own  lost  youth.  Although  Lois  had 
been  left  almost  penniless  at  her  parents'  death,  Mrs. 
Humbre  had,  from  motives  of  her  own,  given  the 
girl  to  understand  from  the  first  that  she  was  pos 
sessed  of  ample  means  of  her  own,  upon  which  her 
guardian,  Mr.  Robert,  drew  for  the  funds  needed  in 
her  education  and  support. 

"  She  should  never  grow  up  with  the  feeling  of 
dependence  about  her,"  reasoned  the  worldly  wise 
woman,  "  for  if  she  was  to  be  a  famous  belle  and 
make  a  brilliant  match, —  as  she  was  sure  to  do  with 
the  advantages  that  she  was  to  have,  —  she  must  have 
a  proper  pride  in  herself  as  a  rich  as  well  as  beautiful 
woman,  and  that  could  hardly  be  if  she  was  conscious 
of  the  truth  that  she  was  a  penniless  dependent  upon 
the  bounty  of  her  friends." 


"Blazing"  the  Way  for  Fashion       147 

Although  not  admitted  to  their  mother's  confidence 
in  the  matter,  neither  Robert  Humbre  nor  his  sister 
would  for  the  world  have  stooped  to  remind  the 
orphan  of  her  dependence,  and  thus  Lois  had  grown 
up  from  childhood  to  maidenhood  surrounded  by 
luxuries,  and  given  every  advantage  of  education 
that  her  city  home  afforded,  never  dreaming  that 
the  money  so  lavishly  spent  upon  her  was  drawn 
from  Mrs.  Humbre's  private  purse.  That  her  partial 
but  ill  judging  protectress  had  not  succeeded  in  quite 
spoiling  the  girl  was  due  to  two  things.  First  and 
foremost  was  her  own  naturally  warm  and  loving 
heart,  that  not  all  this  injudicious  petting  and  flattery 
had  been  able  to  harden,  supplemented  by  Miss 
Delphine's  always  wholesome  influence. 

The  strong  common  sense  that  this  sturdy  offshoot 
of  the  Humbres  invariably  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
many  vexing  questions  of  their  daily  life,  served  to 
dispel  many  a  harmful  illusion,  and  clear  away  many  a 
foolish  outgrowth  of  childish  vanity  and  conceit  that 
her  mother's  injudicious  flattery  had  fostered.  To  be 
sure  it  was  apt  to  be  up-hill  work,  for  Lois  had  a  fair 
share  of  the  self-will  and  obstinacy  of  the  ordinary 
spoiled  child,  but  Miss  Delphine's  perseverance  and 
unfailing  good  temper  accomplished  much,  especially 
in  the  educational  line,  and  by  constant  leading,  coax 
ing,  and  spurring,  the  naturally  indolent  student  had 
really  become  quite  well  informed  upon  many  sub 
jects  that  school  girls  of  her  age,  even  in  this  day  of 
good  schools,  know  little  or  nothing  about.  Apart 
from  this  she  was  quick  witted  and  original,  and  Miss 
Delphine  remembered  and  quoted  years  afterwards 


148  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

her  comment  upon  the  events  of  this  their  first  day 
upon  the  Desert  Island  : 

"  Maybe  we  "re  '  blazing '  a  path  through  these 
woods  for  other  people  to  find  their  way  by,  just  as 
those  old  Pathfinders  used  to  do.  Would  n't  it  be 
funny,  though,  if  sometime  we  should  come  back  here 
and  find  broad  roads  and  big  cities  where  we  have  to 
make  our  own  paths  now?  " 

"  Too  funny  to  be  probable,"  laughed  Miss  Del- 
phine. 

But  for  all  that,  she  remembered  the  unwitting 
prophecy,  and  repeated  it  in  after  years  with  no  little 
pride  and  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

"A  SUNSHINY  WORLD  FULL  OF  LAUGHTER 
AND  LEISURE" 

FOR  a  week  or  more  Miss  Delphine  and  Lois 
found  ample  amusement  in  wandering  without 
other  guide  than  their  own  wayward  fancies,  from  end 
to  end  of  the  rock-strewn  beach,  hunting  for  the 
beautiful  bits  of  feldspar  and  chalcedony  that,  worn 
smooth  as  glass  by  the  constant  washing  of  the  tide 
for  centuries,  glowed  in  as  many  and  delicate  tints  of 
red,  green,  and  pearl  as  if  some  gnome  in  his  rocky 
cavern  beneath  had,  in  sweeping  out  his  doorway, 
scattered  in  wanton  wastefulness  the  precious  rubbish 
of  chipped  and  rejected  gems  from  his  fairy  work 
bench.  Sometimes  they  climbed  upon  the  great 
granite  boulders,  from  which  they  could  get  a  long 
look  out  to  sea,  and  the  girl  listened  with  half-incred 
ulous  wonder  as  her  companion  explained  how 
these  same  boulders,  broken  from  the  rocky  founda 
tions  of  the  island,  and  carried  seaward  by  the  irresist 
ible  force  of  wind  and  wave,  had,  in  the  mighty 
tempests  of  the  past,  been  tossed  like  egg-shells  upon 
the  beach,  where  they  now  lay  stranded,  huge  hulks 
of  earth-born  granite,  smoothed  at  their  bases  by  the 
ever-lapping  tides,  and  patched  on  their  landward 
side  with  mosses  and  lichen,  as  varied  in  shape  and 
color  as  a  piece  of  crazy  patchwork. 


150  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

On  many  a  bare  ledge  of  level  rock  they  found  a 
pleasant  excitement  in  tracing  the  long  parallel  lines 
scratched  upon  its  telltale  surface,  —  unmistakable 
hints  of  a  time  when  that  mighty  glacial  torrent  came 
moving  majestically  down  from  Katahdin  to  the 
Atlantic,  bearing  upon  its  bosom  great  icebergs 
whose  glittering  peaks  towered  mountains  high  in 
the  cold  Arctic  air,  and  marking  with  iron  heel  their 
footprints  in  the  solid  stone,  —  strange  hieroglyphics 
in  which  future  ages  might  read  the  story  of  that 
grand,  terrible,  voiceless  march  to  the  sea.  They 
lingered  about  the  fallen,  weed-grown  cellar  of  the 
old  Gregoire  mansion,  where  Lois,  with  a  girl's  love 
for  the  romantic  and  marvellous,  exercised  her  wits 
reconstructing  the  old-time  household,  —  picturing 
the  stately  Frenchman  and  his  beautiful  wife  in  the 
aristocratic  seclusion  in  which  the  lord  and  lady 
of  this  Island  castle  must  necessarily  have  dwelt,  and 
where,  cheered  and  charmed  by  the  beauties  that 
Nature  spread  so  lavishly  around  them,  they  walked 
hand  in  hand  down  the  sloping  pathway  of  life  to  the 
"  low  green  tent  "  at  its  end. 

In  retrospect  all  seemed  transfigured  and  ethereal- 
ized  by  the  mists  of  the  past  just  as  the  Island  fogs, 
gray  and  formless  in  themselves,  had  power  to  cast 
about  the  mountains  to  whose  rugged  sides  they 
clung,  an  ineffable  mystery  and  charm,  increasing 
rather  than  marring  their  beauty  to  the  poetic  mind : 

"  Like  troops  of  angels  climbing  fearlessly 
Into  a  dark,  and  rough,  and  hardened  soul." 

In  vain  Miss  Delphine  relentlessly  brought  to  bear 
the  local  traditions  upon  the  subject  of  the  queer  old 


"A  Sunshiny  World  Full  of  Laughter"  151 

pioneers,  declaring  them  "  avaricious,  slatternly,  and 
addicted  to  snuff,  rum,  and  Catholicism."  Lois  pre 
ferred  her  own  ideals  to  the  Island  folks'  distorted 
pictures,  and  more  than  once,  unknown  to  her  friends, 
she  found  a  romantic  satisfaction  in  decking  with 
wreaths  of  wild  flowers  the  neglected  graves  where 
the  forefathers  of  the  Island  lay.  But  beach  rambles 
and  even  the  memories  of  the  Gregoires  were  begin 
ning  to  grow  a  bit  tiresome,  when,  one  beautiful 
sunny  morning, — just  the  day  to  be  out  of  doors,— 
Mrs.  Humbre  took  to  her  room  with  one  of  her  low 
nervous  attacks,  and  as  her  daughter  could  not  leave 
her,  the  girl  was  left  for  the  first  time  to  wander  at 
her  own  sweet  will  wherever  she  would,  with  only  the 
faintly  murmured  caution  from  amidst  the  fluffy 
depths  of  the  invalid's  down  pillow: 

"  Don't  get  your  feet  wet,  dear,  —  and  don't 
forget  to  wear  your  gloves,  your  hands  burn  so 
easily." 

"  I  think,"  the  girl  said  to  herself  as  with  a  thrill  of 
that  proud  exultation  that  one  who  tries,  for  the  first 
time  and  alone,  untrodden  byways,  is  prone  to  feel, 
she  strolled  aimlessly  down  the  dusty  highway  that 
led  past  the  widow's  front  door,  "  I  think  I  '11  try  that 
road  that  leads  down  towards  the  woods.  Tabby  said 
yesterday  that  it  was  the  schoolhouse  road,  and  went 
close  to  Granny  Hedvig's  'hut.'  She's  a  coarse, 
spiteful  thing,  that  Tabby." 

And  a  listener  would  have  been  puzzled  to  see  the 
connection  between  Tabby's  bit  of  local  information 
and  the  sudden  flash  of  Lois's  black  eyes  at  that 
moment.  Perhaps  Tabby's  choice  of  words  was  un- 


152  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

fortunate,  but  at  any  rate  Miss  Lois  seemed  to  have 
no  hesitation  in  availing  herself  of  the  information 
thus  gained,  for  she  set  off  with  a  brisk  step  down 
the  narrow  grass-grown  road,  that  was  now  so  seldom 
travelled  by  other  than  pedestrians  that  it  looked 
in  the  distance,  she  thought,  like  a  broad  striped 
ribbon  of  gray  and  green,  only  flecked  here  and 
there  with  the  gold  of  an  intrusive  buttercup  or  the 
violet  of  a  bit  of  self-heal. 

What  a  bright,  sweet,  blithesome  morning  it  was ! 
The  memory  of  it  came  back  to  the  girl  many  a  time 
in  after  years,  like  some  half-forgotten  yet  still  beau 
tiful  dream,  when  tired  and  soiled  with  the  dust  of 
life's  broader  highway,  she  was  glad  at  times  to  shut 
her  eyes,  and  see  again  the  fresh  green  sward,  the 
starry-eyed  daisies  and  golden  buttercups  nodding  in 
neighborly  fashion  to  each  other,  the  buxom  purple 
clover  keeping  watch  and  ward  over  his  paler  cousins, 
the  sweet-breathed  white  and  pink,  to  say  nothing  of 
that  Puck  among  wild  flowers,  the  flame-capped  cel 
andine,  —  pert,  tricksy  little  elf!  —  ready  to  resent  in 
a  moment  the  touch  of  rude  or  careless  fingers. 
Here  and  there,  standing  stiff  and  graceless  by  the 
wayside,  rose  a  tall  spruce  or  pine,  wreathed  from  top 
to  toe  with  the  fresh  green  leaves  and  feathery  snow 
of  the  clematis,  while  crowds  of  sweet  wild  roses 
thrust  inquisitive  faces  out  from  the  shelter  of  alder 
thickets  and  nodded  a  friendly  welcome  to  the  charmed 
stranger.  With  eager  delight  the  girl  picked  hand- 
fuls  of  the  fragrant  blossoms,  decking  belt  and  bosom 
with  their  delicate  loveliness.  There  was  a  kind  of 
delicious  bravado  in  taking  advantage  of  this  lavish 


"A  Sunshiny  World  Full  of  Laughter"  153 

open-handedness  on  the  part  of  Nature,    as  if  one 
should  say  in  wanton  mood : 

"  Give  much,  give  more,  and  ever  more, 
Still  grasp  I,  add  I,  to  my  store." 

The  grasshopper's  whirr  and  the  occasional  note  of 
a  paternal  robin,  too  busy  now  in  providing  for  the 
hungry  youngsters  at  home  to  find  time  to  practise 
those  marvellous  bravuras  that  a  few  weeks  earlier 
had  made  the  woodland  vocal  with  music,  were  the 
only  sounds  outside  of  the  never-ceasing,  distant  lap 
ping  of  the  waves  upon  the  rocky  beach  that  broke 
the  midsummer  stillness.  In  that  atmosphere  and 
amidst  these  surroundings,  life  seemed  all  at  once  to 
have  become  the  sweetest,  most  blessed  thing  of 
which  the  imagination  of  man  can  conceive.  Sorrow, 
disappointment,  pain  and  death  were  as  unreal  and 
far  away  as  were  the  ice,  and  snow,  and  chilling 
frosts  of  winter.  It  was  joy  enough  to  be,  —  to  live, 
and  move,  and  breathe  in  this  blessed  to-day,  and  let 
the  future  as  the  past  take  care  of  itself. 

Delusions,  say  you?  Yes,  but  thank  God  for  these 
delusions,  fleeting  and  short  though  they  may  be,  and 
recall  when  perchance  the  storms  of  life  beat  over  the 
shivering  soul,  and  sorrow's  icy  touch  chills  the  most 
hopeful  heart,  these  blessed,  heaven-sent  spots  in  our 
pilgrimage,  and  let  them  be  a  promise,  sure  and  un 
changeable,  of  that  rest  beyond,  in  the  Garden  of  our 
Lord  where  "  the  tender  grapes  appear ;  and  the 
pomegranates  bud  forth ;  and  the  mandrakes  give  a 
pleasant  smell,  —  all  of  which  I  have  laid  up  for  thee, 
O  my  beloved." 


1 54  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

It  may  have  been  some  unexplainable  attraction,  or 
it  may  have  been  a  glimpse  of  a  pink  sunbonnet  flit 
ting  in  and  out  among  the  leafy  shadows,  that  served 
her  as  a  guide,  but  it  is  sure  that  the  girl  was  at  no 
loss  when  she  came  to  the  scarce-trodden  footpath,  to 
know  that  it  led  to  Granny  Hedvig's  cottage  and  to 
follow  it  unhesitatingly.  Hut  indeed  !  Why  the  little 
cottage  was  the  most  picturesque  thing  imaginable, 
with  the  clematis  and  wild  morning-glories  wreathing 
its  low,  log-built  walls  with  garlands  of  white,  and 
rose,  and  purple,  while  the  roses  that  had  been  their 
mistress'  pride  and  joy,  now  in  full  bloom,  made  the 
air  heavy  with  their  dainty  perfume.  The  little 
brook  rippled  as  placidly  over  its  pebbly  bed  as  if  it 
had  never  known  the  let  and  fret  of  troublesome 
boulder  or  fallen  tree  trunk,  while  in  the  blossoming 
catnip  patch  the  bees  were  humming,  undisturbed  in 
the  least  by  the  slender,  girlish  figure  that  walked 
so  fearlessly  among  them,  pausing  often  at  one  spe 
cial  hive  where  something  unusual  seemed  to  be 
going  on. 

Lois  was  not  troubled  with  diffidence,  neither  did  it 
enter  into  her  head  that  she  might  be  considered  an 
intruder,  and  she  had  no  hesitation  in  taking  the  most 
direct  road  to  the  gratification  of  her  curiosity,  al 
though  a  wholesome  dread  of  the  bees  themselves 
kept  her  outside  their  special  domain,  thus  forcing 
her  to  raise  her  voice  to  a  very  unladylike  key  as  she 
called  abruptly: 

"  What  is  it?  what  are  you  doing  with  the  bees?  " 

The  girl  started,  and  turning  displayed  a  face  be 
neath  the  pink  sunbonnet  browned,  and  by  no  means 


"A  Sunshiny  World  Full  of  Laughter"  i  55 

beautiful  according  to  Lois's  somewhat  exaggerated 
standard,  but  very  pleasing  in  its  unaffected  friendli 
ness  and  utter  absence  of  either  suspicion  or  servility. 

"I'm  watching  for  them  to  swarm,"  she  said,  with  a 
look  of  honest  admiration  in  her  clear,  straightforward 
eyes,  as  she  took  in  at  a  glance  the  pretty,  dainty 
figure,  —  from  the  broad  gipsy  hat  of  the  finest  Leg 
horn  straw,  to  toe  tips  of  the  high,  neatly  laced  boots. 
"Don't  you  want  to  see  them?"  she  asked,  with  a 
momentary  flush  of  embarrassment  as  she  saw  the 
glance  of  surprise  that  the  city-bred  Miss  cast  upon 
her.  "They're  all  ready,  I  know,  for  I've  heard  the 
old  queen  scolding  for  the  last  two  hours,  and  she  '11 
be  sure  to  start  soon." 

"Scolding?  The  queen  scolding?"  repeated  her 
listener,  half  indignant  at  the  idea  that  the  stranger 
was  trying  to  quiz  her. 

Comfort  laughed. 

"  I  call  it  that,"  she  said  with  a  quick  look  in  the 
direction  of  the  hive  where  an  angry  buzzing  was 
going  on,  growing  louder  and  more  aggressive  every 
minute.  "  You  know  that  when  a  young  queen  is 
hatched  out  the  old  one  is  so  mad  that  she  tries  to  get 
at  her  to  sting  her  to  death.  But  the  workers  keep 
them  apart,  till  at  last  the  old  queen  won't  stay  there 
any  longer,  and  for  a  long  time  you  can  hear,  if  you 
put  your  ear  close  to  the  hive,  her  hum  growing  louder 
and  louder  every  minute,  —  then  you  may  know  that 
she  's  all  ready  to  start  out  with  a  new  swarm." 

"  But  why  do  they  swarm?"  asked  Lois,  straining 
her  eyes  to  get  a  good  look  at  the  interesting  insects. 

"  Because  the  hive  is  too  full,  and  the  part  that 


156  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

hold  to  the  old  queen  go  out  under  her  lead  and 
start  a  new  colony.  I  've  got  a  nice  hive  all  ready 
that  I  coaxed  my  brother  Isaac  to  make,  and  he 
promised  to  help  me  hive  'em,  but  he  's  gone  off 
somewhere  and  I  shall  have  to  do  the  best  I  can 
alone." 

"  Oh,  let  me  help !  "  and  Lois  fairly  danced  in  her 
excitement,  —  this  was  better  than  all  the  old  cellars 
on  the  Island.  "What  shall  I  do?  and  won't  they 
sting  me?  " 

"  Not  if  you  don't  scare  them,"  replied  the  other, 
with  a  tone  of  assurance  that  set  her  companion's 
rising  fears  at  rest  at  once.  "  All  you  need  to  do  is, 
when  the  swarm  rises  into  the  air,  throw  a  handful  of 
dust  in  their  faces.  That  kind  of  bewilders  them  and 
keeps  them  from  flying  away,  so  they  '11  keep  near 
and  I  can  hive  them." 

"  Oh,  I  can  do  that." 

And  all  alive  with  the  excitement  of  the  occasion, 
off  went  the  gloves  that  Mrs.  Humbre  had  insisted 
upon,  and  turning  back  her  cuffs  with  the  air  of  a 
prize  fighter,  the  new  assistant  declared  her  readiness 
to  throw  a  handful,  or, —  if  needed,  a  cartload — of 
dust  into  the  eyes  of  the  winged  emigrants. 

"  There  they  come  !  "  cried  Comfort  excitedly. 

"Now,"  producing  a  long  pole  from  which  was 
suspended  a  thick  woolen  stocking,  "just  as  soon  as 
they  rise,  you  throw  the  dust  right  among  them,  and 
I  'It  hold  the  stocking  where  they  '11  light  on  it." 

Too  much  excited  to  think  of  possible  danger  to 
herself,  as  the  winged  crowd  rose  from  the  over 
crowded  hive,  Lois  tossed  handful  after  handful  of 


"A  Sunshiny  World  Full  of  Laughter"  157 

the  yellow  dust  toward  them,  until  as  Comfort  had 
predicted  they  settled  down  upon  the  convenient 
stocking,  and  with  a  gentle  yet  deft  motion  of  the 
bearer's  hand  were  easily  transferred  to  the  new 
hive,  while  both  girls  watched,  scarcely  daring  to 
breathe,  until  the  bewildered,  uncertain  movements 
ceased,  and  the  new  swarm  took  up  its  regular  routine 
as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  disturb  the  even  tenor 
of  its  way.  Lois  picked  up  her  gloves  and  hat,  and 
with  a  very  red,  heated  face  began  to  brush  the  dust 
from  her  disordered  dress,  while  Comfort,  all  at  once 
remembering  that  hiving  bees  was  not  as  familiar  a 
business  to  every  girl  as  to  herself,  hastened  to  ex 
press  her  thanks,  as  well  as  her  sense  of  the  other's 
courage  under  what  was,  no  doubt,  to  her  a  trying 
experience. 

"  I  'm  ever  so  much  obliged  to  you  for  helping  me, 
and  I  think,"-— with  a  touch  of  shyness,  —  "that  you 
must  be  the  bravest  girl  in  the  world  to  dare  to  do  it. 
I  have  helped  Granny  so  many  times,  and  the  bees 
know  me  so  well  that  I  don't  think  anything  of  it 
myself,  but  lots  of  folks  round  here  would  have  been 
so  frightened  that  they  would  n't  have  dared  to  do  a 
single  thing." 

Lois  actually  blushed  with  pleasure.  She  had 
been  called  pretty,  and  charming,  and  sweet,  and  all 
that,  ever  since  she  could  remember,  but  brave,  — 
here  was  something  to  be  proud  of  indeed  1  and  it 
is  doubtful  if  in  the  social  triumphs  of  her  later  years 
the  little  maiden  ever  tasted  a  sweeter  cup  than  this 
innocent,  honest  tribute  to  her  yet  fresh  lip.  It  was 
a  new  sensation,  too,  this  consciousness  of  being  useful 


158  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

to  somebody,  and  at  the  same  time  awoke  in  her  a 
feeling  of  half-unconscious  fellowship  that  she  had 
never  in  all  her  life  felt  toward  any  companion  of 
her  own  age  and  condition.  This  little  brown-faced 
country  girl,  in  her  plain  home-made  gown,  ungloved 
and  unshod,  not  a  whit  more  tasteful  or  fashionable 
in  her  dress  than  the  despised  Tabby  Scripture,  had 
something  about  her  that  drew  and  kept  the  friendly 
interest  of  this  stranger,  who  was  in  almost  every 
respect  as  far  removed  from  her  as  one  of  the  same 
age  and  sex  could  well  be. 

On  any  ordinary  occasion,  Comfort  would  never 
have  dreamed  of  intruding  herself  upon  the  "  stuck- 
up  city  Miss,"  as  Tabby  bitterly  called  her,  for  the 
child  had  an  honest  pride  of  her  own  that  would 
never  have  allowed  her  to  expose  herself  willingly 
to  the  rebuffs  of  a  social  superior.  But  everything 
had  come  about  so  naturally  and  unexpectedly  that 
there  had  been  no  time  for  ceremony,  and  in  her 
own  mind  Comfort  was  now  thoroughly  convinced 
that  the  little  lady  had  been  grievously  slandered  by 
the  jealous  Tabby,  while  the  girlish  delight  with 
which  she  regarded  her  beauty,  set  off  by  its  dainty 
adornments,  had  in  it  not  a  trace  of  envy  or  jealous 
detraction. 

In  her  way,  too,  Lois  was  quite  as  much  in  love 
with  the  little  bee-keeper,  and  as  they  sat  together  in 
the  shadow  of  the  deserted  doorway,  and  with  girlish 
freedom  talked  of  a  thousand  things  dear  to  the  lives 
if  not  the  hearts  of  each,  a  sense  of  comradeship  that 
had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  birth,  education, 
or  position  of  either,  awoke  in  them,  and  made  the 


"A  Sunshiny  World  Full  of  Laughter"  159 

acquaintanceship  thus  oddly  begun  a  promise  of 
future  enjoyment  and  possible  profit  to  both. 

"  She  's  the  dearest,  most  innocent  little  thing  you 
ever  saw,"  declared  Lois  in  the  family  conclave  that 
evening. 

"  You  need  n't  look  so  unbelieving,  auntie,"  as  that 
very  prudent  chaperon  shook  her  head  with  an  air 
of  gentle  incredulity.  "  She 's  a  little  lady,  with  all 
her  country  ways,  and  I  mean  to  be  real  intimate 
with  her  while  we  're  here,  for  I  'm  tired  to  death 
having  no  girl  to  go  round  with." 

"  Now,  Robert,"  began  Mrs.  Humbre,  with  a  vague 
feeling  that  somebody  ought  to  interfere  with  this 
unequal  friendship,  —  but  Robert  for  once  was  on  the 
other  side. 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself,  mother,"  —  he  spoke 
gently,  as  he  always  did  to  his  mother,  but  there  was 
a  decision  in  his  tones  that  showed  a  more  than 
common  interest  in  the  subject,  as  well  as  a  deter 
mination  that  rather  surprised  his  listeners.  "  This 
little  Comfort  Hadlock  is  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  if 
Lois  will  take  pattern  by  her  in  the  womanly  virtues 
of  unselfishness,  modesty,  and  perfect  truthfulness,  she 
may  prove  the  very  best  friend  that  she  could  have." 

Miss  Delphine  looked  up  quickly  from  her  book. 

"  Is  she  the  one  you  told  us  of  who  barred  the 
door  of  that  old  woman  against  the  midnight  robbers, 
and  was  forced  at  the  inquest  to  testify  against  her 
own  brother?  " 

Robert  smiled  at  his  sister's  characteristic  way  of 
putting  it,  but  he  replied  with  a  glance  at  Lois's  eager 
glowing  face : 


160  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

lf  The  same.  And  for  my  part,  I  think  the  defense 
of  her  helpless  old  friend,  gallant  as  it  was,  required 
less  courage  than  that  truthful  testimony  that  she 
gave  at  the  inquest.  Moral  courage  is  always  supe 
rior,  to  my  mind,  than  physical,  let  the  world  say 
what  it  will." 

"  Why,  Cousin  Robert,  she  's  as  brave  as  Jennie 
Deans  !  "  cried  Lois,  and  Robert  nodded.  Evidently 
he  thought  so,  too. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

"THERE   IS   NO   WIND   BUT   SOWETH   SEEDS" 

"OHE  needs  mothering,  poor  child!"  repeated 
^  Mrs.  Hadlock  to  herself,  as  through  the  half- 
closed  kitchen  door  she  listened  to  the  blithe  chatter 
of  the  girls,  for  Lois  had,  by  this  time,  become  almost 
as  much  at  home  in  the  old  farmhouse  as  Comfort 
herself.  From  the  first,  there  had  been  something 
about  the  pretty,  wilful,  impulsive  child  that  had 
appealed  strongly  to  the  good  woman's  motherly 
sympathies,  and  she  had  almost  unconsciously  come 
to  include  her  in  all  the  little  tender  privileges  and 
loving  tendance  that  she  lavished  upon  her  own 
child. 

Mrs.  Humbre  would  scarcely  have  recognized  the 
dainty,  pert,  self-conscious  little  lady  in  miniature,  of 
her  careful  training,  in  the  helpful,  happy  child  who 
hunted  eggs  in  the  fragrant,  high-heaped  mows,  picked 
the  strawberries  for  her  own  supper,  and  actually 
helped  Comfort  in  her  dish-washing  with  as  deft  and 
neat  a  hand  as  if  she  had  done  nothing  else  in  all  her 
life.  That  warm,  tender  atmosphere  of  motherly  love 
seemed  to  bring  out  all  that  was  best  and  sweetest 
in  the  girl,  whose  inner  nature  unfolded  petal  by 
petal,  under  its  wholesome  sunshine,  as  certain  flowers, 
fair  but  scentless,  all  at  once  acquire  a  fragrance  be 
fore  unknown  when  exposed  to  the  proper  climatic 


1 62  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

influences.  There  is  no  doubt  that  children  may  be 
dry  nursed  into  a  healthful,  vigorous  maturity,  but 
it  is  certain  that  those  same  children  will  carry  about 
with  them  all  their  lives  a  sense  of  something  lacking 
to  their  childhood,  a  right  of  which  they  have  been 
defrauded,  —  the  right  to  that  "mothering"  that 
every  creature,  from  the  bird  that  builds  in  the  lilac 
at  your  door,  to  the  cat  upon  the  hearth-rug  cuddling 
her  helpless  babies  close  to  her  furry  breast,  finds  it 
the  joy  and  duty  of  life  to  bestow.  The  mother 
who  looks  upon  her  innocent  baby  as  an  encum 
brance,  to  be  shifted  as  far  as  possible  upon  the 
shoulders  of  hirelings,  is  as  great  a  monstrosity  as  the 
two-headed  girl  or  the  frog  boy. 

How  often  we  hear  the  expression :  "  Tied  down  to 
a  family  of  children."  That  is  just  it,  —  "  tied,"  held, 
bound  to  home  and  all  its  sweet,  helpful,  purifying  in 
fluences,  bound  by  the  silken  cord  of  a  love  that,  in 
its  unselfish  devotion,  is  nearest  akin  to  the  Divine 
of  any  that  humanity  can  know,  —  set  apart,  as  in  a 
blessed  shrine,  from  all  the  turmoil  and  tumult  of  the 
busy  world  outside.  Happy,  thrice  happy  the  woman 
who,  with  conscious  pride,  wears  these  love-woven 
bands  as  the  insignia  of  a  royalty  more  to  be  desired 
than  the  diadem  of  princes. 

But  there  are  mothers,  —  and  mothers ;  and  Mrs. 
Humbre  being  one  of  the  "  and  mothers,"  it  is  not 
strange  that  while  caring  faithfully  for  the  bodily 
needs  of  her  young  charge,  she  should  feel  that  her 
duties  were  well  fulfilled,  and  that  its  own  mother 
could  not  have  done  better  by  the  beautiful  child 
than  she  had  done.  And  Lois  had  never  realized  the 


"There  is  no  Wind  but  Soweth  Seeds"  163 

difference  until,  in  this  old  farmhouse  by  the  sea,  she 
had  learned  something  of  the  tender,  unselfish  nature 
of  true  motherhood,  and  had  come  to  long  unspeak 
ably  for  something  like  it  in  her  own  life. 

Comfort,  on  her  part,  was  learning  in  a  hundred 
little  ways  from  this  companionship  to  modify  her 
ruder  notions  of  speech  and  manner,  to  amend  her 
grammar  as  well  as  her  dress,  and  best  of  all  to  acquire 
an  intense  longing  for  a  broader,  higher  type  of  educa 
tion  than  her  own  little  world  afforded.  In  her  eyes 
Lois  was  a  paragon  of  learning,  and  Miss  Delphine  the 
wisest  woman  in  the  whole  world.  It  was  a  perfect 
delight  to  guide  her  new  friends  to  the  various  points 
of  interest  in  the  neighborhood,  and  to  help  to  collect 
the  specimens  that  the  elder  lady  had  so  sharp  an  eye 
for.  It  was  so  strange  that  all  her  life  she  had  looked 
upon  these  wonders  of  sea  and  shore  without  realizing 
half  their  beauty  and  rarity,  and  never  did  a  teacher 
have  a  more  zealous  and  apt  scholar  in  scientific  study 
than  did  Miss  Delphine  in  the  Squire's  bright  little 
daughter. 

Under  her  directions  she  learned  to  prepare  and 
press  the  beautifully  colored  seaweeds  and  mosses, 
and  even  to  classify  some  of  the  commoner  kinds, 
thus  outdoing  Lois,  who  was  perfectly  content  to  pre 
serve  their  delicate  beauty  in  a  convenient  form  with 
out  troubling  herself  with  their  genealogies  or  social 
habits.  In  the  shallow  caves  along  the  shore,  where 
the  tides  of  the  ages  have  worn  away  the  solid  rock, 
leaving  the  cavernous  mouths  ever  gaping  helplessly 
at  the  incoming  destroyer,  were  wonderful  collections 
of  animal  and  vegetable  growths,  —  each  a  museum 


1 64  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

in  itself,  overflowing  with  wonders  to  the  intelligent 
stranger  who  was  fortunate  enough  to  discover  its 
hoarded  secrets.  It  was  to  one  of  these  caves  on  a 
pleasant  July  afternoon  that  Miss  Delphine  and  her 
girlish  companions  took  their  way,  mainly  on  Com 
fort's  recommendation,  and  as  always  under  her 
guidance.  In  her  researches  the  learned  lady  had 
never  paid  much  heed  to  the  sentiment  that  "  The 
proper  study  of  mankind  is  Man,"  —  inarticulate 
Nature  had  always  interested  her  much  more  than 
the  peculiarities,  physical,  mental,  or  moral,  of  her 
own  kind.  But  on  this  lazy,  hazy  summer  afternoon, 
the  sea-bronzed,  dilapidated  old  fishermen  dotted 
here  and  there  along  the  beach,  like  heaps  of  rusty 
brown  sea-kelp,  seemed  so  congenial  and  in  harmony 
with  the  rough,  weather-beaten  rocks  and  stunted 
pines  and  spruces  along  the  shore,  that  she  was  in 
clined  for  once  to  encourage  her  companions  in  their 
girlish  good-fellowship  for  these  veterans  of  the  sea, 
and  their  sunburned,  barefooted  children. 

"  There  's  old  Sol !  "  cried  Comfort,  and  somewhat 
to  Miss  Delphine's  surprise,  Lois  seemed  to  recog 
nize  the  individual  at  once,  and  hastened  after  her 
friend  in  the  direction  of  a  solitary  figure  sitting  upon 
a  rock  and  so  busy  in  his  work  of  mending  a  net  that 
he  was  evidently  unaware  of  their  approach  until  they 
were  close  beside  him,  then  civilly  touching  his  bat 
tered  sou'wester,  he  returned  their  greeting  with  a 
hospitable  smile  that  made  every  wrinkle  of  his 
weather-worn  face  express  a  separate  welcome. 

"  Yer  sarvent,  ladies !  "  rising  from  his  seat  with 
as  much  alacrity  as  his  rheumatic  limbs  would 


"There  is  no  Wind  but  Soweth  Seeds"  165 

allow,  and  glancing  a  little  doubtfully  at  the  stranger 
lady. 

"  I  'm  loth  ter  disapp'int  ye,"  he  went  on,  evidently 
under  the  impression  that  his  services  as  a  boatman 
were  desired,  "  but  Jake  's  out  fishin'  with  the  dory, 
an'  the  pinkie  leaks  like  a  sieve." 

Comfort  hastened  to  explain  that  they  were  out 
for  a  walk  instead  of  a  sail,  and  that  their  destination 
was  the  "  Mermaid's  Cave,"— whereat  old  Sol  scratched 
his  grizzled  head,  and  "  allowed  "  that  they  'd  "  have 
ter  step  spry,"  or  they  "  would  n't  get  there  while 
'twas  slack  water.  You  see,  ma'am,"  addressing  Miss 
Delphine,  as  the  responsible  member  of  the  party, 
"she  's  a  nasty  place,  that  air  cave  is,  f'r  a  body  ter 
get  stranded  in  when  the  tide  's  comin'  in.  I  railly 
think  now  that  't  would  be  safer  f'r  me  ter  take  that 
pinkie  o'  Bill  Jones's,  an*  row  ye  over.  That'll  save 
time,  an'  I  c'n  keep  a  lookout  so 't  you  won't  get 
caught  onawares  when  the  tide  comes  in." 

Miss  Delphine  cast  her  eyes  along  the  rocky,  far- 
stretching  shore  and  was  half  persuaded,  but  Lois 
interposed  impatiently: 

"  No,  no,  Cousin  Del !  it 's  ever  so  much  more  fun 
to  walk.  I  want  to  get  some  of  those  sea-urchins, 
and  you  know  you  promised  you  'd  help  us  find  a 
razor-shell." 

Miss  Delphine  yielded,  though  rather  against  her 
own  judgment,  and  the  fisherman,  watching  them 
as  they  walked  away,  ruminated  with  a  look  of  appre 
hension  on  his  weather-beaten  old  face : 

"  She  do  look  kind  o'  ugly,"  scanning  meanwhile 
the  summer  sky,  over  which  a  few  fleecy  white  clouds 


1 66  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

were  leisurely  sailing.  "  Dog  Mounting  's  bed  his 
storm  signal  out  ever  sense  the  turn  o'  the  tide. 
Here,  you  Mandy,"  stirring  with  his  toe  a  small 
bundle  of  faded  and  tattered  calico  burrowing  in  the 
sand,  behind  a  convenient  rock,  as  shapeless,  un 
couth,  and  evidently  as  wild  as  the  sand  crabs  that 
she  was  digging  for,  "  what  dandy  craft 's  that,  that 
Squire  Hadlock's  gal 's  got  in  tow?  " 

"  Lor,  gran'daddy,  don't  ye  know?  Well,  you  are 
green,"  piped  up  a  small  voice,  with  a  laugh  that 
had  a  queer,  muffled  sound  as  if  the  throat  it  came 
from  was  full  of  the  Island  fog.  "  Did  n't  ye  ever 
hearn  o'  them  city  swells  harborin'  down  ter  the 
Widder  Scripture's?" 

"Why,  yis,  yis,  —  sure  enuff,"  and  the  old  man 
walked  a  little  farther  down  the  shore,  and  stretched 
his  neck  to  get  a  good  look  at  the  retreating  figures. 
"  Schooner  rigged,  both  of  'em,  an'  the  little  one 
carries  a  fair  show  o'  buntin'  "  (evidently  referring  to 
the  ribbons  on  Lois's  hat).  "  See  here,  you  Mandy," 
turning  the  ungainly  figure  around,  and  regarding  it 
with  a  meditative  eye,  "  mebbe  if  you  had  as  trim  a 
rig  o'  stompers  on  yer  hoofs  as  that  un,  an'  hed  yer 
brush  all  slicked  up  an'  braided  smooth  an'  trim, 
even  if  ye  did  n't  have  no  streamers  ter  decker  with, 
and  hed  yer  canvas  all  clean  an'  whole  as  them  uns 
has,  you  Wlook  kind  o'  smart  an'  wholesome,  too." 

A  hot  flush  of  angry  shame  sprang  to  the  freckled, 
sunburned  face,  and  almost  quenched  the  tears  that 
filled  her  blue  eyes  as  she  turned  them,  half  in  anger 
yet  full  of  tender  reproach  upon  her  grandfather. 

"  I  hain't  no  lady,  an'  I  hain't  got  nobody  ter  buy 


"There  is  no  Wind  but  Soweth  Seeds"  167 

me  a  lady  's  rigour.,  and  if  I  hed,  I  should  n't  be  no 
body  but  '  Mandy '  all  the  same.  I  didn't  think, 
gran'daddy,"  and  now  the  tears  overflowed  her  eyes 
and  ran  unchecked  down  her  hot  cheeks,  "  I  did  n't 
think  you  'd  ever  be  ashamed  of  me." 

"  No  more  I  hain't,  sweetheart,"  cried  the  remorse 
ful  old  man,  with  a  hearty  slap  upon  her  shoulder, 
the  nearest  approach  to  a  caress  in  which  he  ever 
indulged;  — "  ye  're  the  best  cook  on  the  Island,  'f  I 
do  say  it,  an'  what  Jake  an'  I  'd  do  without  ye  the 
Lord  only  knows.  Ye  see  I  was  only  kind  o'  spekil- 
latin' " — (treading  softly  as  if  realizing  that  he  was 
on  dangerous  ground,)  "as  ter  how  much  better, — 
bein'  clipper-built,  —  you'd  look  in  their riggin'  than 
they  do." 

Mandy  drew  the  back  of  one  dirty  little  hand  across 
her  eyes,  and  a  smile  spread  like  sunshine  over  her 
childish  face  as  she  graciously  accepted  the  old 
man's  amende  honorable.  And  yet  somehow,  the 
incautious  words  had  left  a  wound  that  could  not  be 
easily  healed,  and  the  fisherman's  little  half-wild 
grand-daughter  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  found 
herself  painfully  conscious  of  her  bare  feet  and  torn 
gown,  as  she  slowly  picked  her  way  back  to  the 
humble  cabin  where,  with  her  grandfather  and  the 
boy  Jake,  she  had  until  now  lived  without  a  thought 
of  anything  better  than  its  rough  shelter  and  scanty 
resources  afforded. 

Now,  the  first  thing  that  she  did  after  re-kindling 
the  decaying  brands  in  the  rude  stone  fireplace,  was 
to  bring  out  a  wooden  pocket  comb  from  some 
obscure  corner,  and  set  herself  resolutely  to  work  to 


1 68  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

comb  out  the  tangles  in  her  matted,  sunburned  hair. 
It  was  a  tremendous  undertaking,  and  the  child  tugged 
and  pulled  at  the  refractory  snarls,  until  the  pain 
brought  the  tears  to  her  eyes,  and  a  volley  of  explo 
sives,  more  forcible  than  polite,  from  her  lips.  Still 
she  persevered,  for  she  had  been  born  of  a  patient, 
determined  race,  and  when  the  task  was  fairly  com 
pleted,  and  the  long,  heavy  locks  neatly  braided, 
their  owner  took  a  good  long  look  at  herself  in  the 
bit  of  broken  looking-glass  that  graced  the  tall 
wooden  chimney  shelf,  and  gave  a  sigh  of  rare 
satisfaction. 

"  My  brush  is  longer  by  two  inches  than  that  city 
gal's,"  she  chuckled,  holding  out  the  long  braid  ad 
miringly,  "  an'  now  I  '11  wash  my  face  an'  han's,  an' 
mend  the  biggest  holes  in  my  gown,  an'  see  what 
gran'daddy '11  say  to  me  then." 

Poor  little  Mandy !  You  are  getting  your  first 
taste  of  the  unrest  and  dissatisfaction  with  self  that 
civilization  of  every  grade  is  sure  to  bring  in  its  train, 
and  without  which  neither  nations  nor  individuals 
would  ever  have  emerged  from  their  original  barbar 
ism.  There  is  a  feeling  of  self-respect  and  honest 
satisfaction  engendered  by  the  consciousness  of  being 
neatly  and  fittingly  attired,  let  satirists  and  stoics  say 
what  they  will,  and  the  woman  who  first  invented  a 
covering  for  her  head,  and  clothed  her  naked  shoul 
ders  with  a  mantle  of  her  own  weaving,  was  as  truly 
the  benefactor  of  her  sex  and  species  as  she  who 
to-day  bravely  contends  for  the  right  to  make  the 
most  of  the  natural  gifts  bestowed  upon  her  by  her 
Maker. 


"There  is  no  Wind  but  Soweth  Seeds"  169 

Many  frivolities  and  belittling  ideas  and  notions 
were  to  be  introduced  into  the  lives  of,  and  grafted 
upon  the  sturdy  old  Island  stock,  by  the  incoming 
tide  of  fashionable  pleasure  seekers.  But  when  we 
remember  the  greater  breadth  of  thought,  the  refin 
ing  and  enlightening  influences  that  necessarily  have 
found  their  way  through  a  thousand  channels  into  the 
sleepy  little  community,  awakening  ambitions  that 
are  not  all  selfish  and  mercenary  by  any  means,  we 
must  own  that  the  wealth  and  material  prosperity 
that  Fashion  has  brought  to  the  sea-girt  Island  is  not 
the  only  or  the  best  gift  bestowed  upon  it.  Poverty 
and  isolation  are  strong  barriers  in  the  advance  of 
any  community,  and  whatever  force  overcomes  them 
and  throws  open  the  gates  to  a  neighborly  inter 
change  of  civilities  with  the  world  outside,  is  and 
must  be  largely  a  beneficent  one. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

"A   SEALED   PALACE,   RICH   AND   DIM" 

TN  spite  of  old  Sol's  prediction,  the  blue  summer 
•••  sea  lay  unruffled  by  so  much  as  a  cat's  paw  of 
wind,  leaving  a  wide  stretch  of  wet  beach  from  which 
the  tide  had  so  lately  receded  that  the  heaps  of  sea 
weed  were  alive  with  the  curious  forms  of  animal  life 
left  by  the  inflowing  wave,  and  the  girls  gladly  loi 
tered  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  hunting  for  star-fishes 
and  sea-urchins,  —  the  first  of  every  age  and  size 
from  the  tiny  rosette  with  its  five  shapeless  knobs 
sticking  out  in  every  direction,  to  the  full-grown 
animal  with  its  five  mail-clad  fingers  capped  with  a 
watchful  eye  at  the  tip  of  each,  and  hundreds  of  tiny 
feet  with  which  it  crawls  over  the  rocks  and  sands, 
searching  for  food  to  satisfy  the  ever  hungry  mouth 
beneath.  It  was  rare  fun  to  catch  the  curious  things, 
and  dropping  them  into  one  of  the  pools  left  by  the 
retreating  tide,  watch  them  as  they  sucked  in  the  sea 
water  through  the  minute  filter  that  Nature  has  pro 
vided  in  the  shape  of  a  little  plate  of  lime,  pierced 
with  holes  between  two  of  the  mailed  fingers;  and 
even  Lois,  despite  her  reluctance  to  touch  the  "  slimy, 
creepy  things,"  could  not  resist  the  contagion  of  her 
companion's  enthusiasm,  and  curiously  watched  this 
glutton  of  the  sea  at  his  feeding,  even  catering  to  his 
greed  by  now  and  then  dropping  a  plump  mussel 


"A  Sealed  Palace,  Rich  and  Dim"     171 

shell  in  his  path,  or  stirring  him  up  with  the  tip  of 
one  cautious  finger,  just  to  see  him  curl  up  the  tips 
of  his  rays,  and  from  all  five  of  his  red  eyes  dart  a 
look  of  angry  defiance  at  his  tormentor. 

The  girls  would  have  found  amusement  enough  in 
these  queer  playfellows  to  have  lasted  them  all  the 
afternoon,  but  Miss  Delphine  was  getting  impatient  to 
explore  the  cave,  whose  dim,  dark  recesses  promised 
a  far  rarer  treat  to  her  scientific  palate  than  those 
common  if  curious  creatures  that  every  heap  of  sea 
weed  harbored  a  colony  of.  As  they  passed  beneath 
the  grim,  overarching  gateway,  the  sudden  change  from 
the  warmth  and  sunshine  that  reigned  without  sent  an 
involuntary  chill  to  even  Comfort's  accustomed  nerves, 
while  Lois  grumbled  audibly,  and  Miss  Delphine  hur 
ried  forward  as  if  half  suspicious  that  her  escort  might 
fail  her  even  now,  and  this  bit  of  wonderland  be  left 
unexplored  after  all.  Advancing  a  few  yards  from 
the  mouth,  the  light  grew  dim,  almost  like  twilight, 
while  the  echoing  waves  made  a  strange  weird  music 
in  their  ears  that  checked  for  a  moment  the  girls' 
careless  chatter,  and  sent  a  feeling  of  awe  even  to 
Miss  Delphine's  sober  scientific  bosom.  The  floor 
was  of  pale  pink  limestone,  worn  smooth  as  marble 
by  the  tide,  and  half  hidden  by  dull  green  heaps  of 
drifted  seaweed,  over  which  Lois  stumbled  help 
lessly,  with  many  an  impatient  exclamation. 

"  I  don't  see  what  there  is  to  look  at  in  this  damp, 
nasty  hole !  "  she  cried,  catching  at  the  rough  walls 
of  the  cavern  to  steady  herself.  "  It 's  so  dark  and 
pokerish  that  I  can  hardly  tell  rock  from  seaweed. 
Ugh !  "  with  a  frantic  clutch  at  Miss  Delphine's  skirts, 


172  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  Some  ugly  thing  hanging  on  the  wall  caught  at  my 
fingers.  I  just  won't  stay  another  minute,  so  there  !  " 

But  Miss  Delphine  only  laughed,  giving  her  a  little 
reassuring  shake,  as  she  explained  for  her  benefit, 
that  "  'T  was  nothing  but  a  sea  anemone,  a  beautiful 
harmless  creature,  that  could  n't  hurt  one  if  he 
would." 

And  now  that  their  eyes  were  becoming  accus 
tomed  to  the  dim  light,  the  group  plucked  up  courage 
enough  to  look  about  them  with  a  wondering  curiosity 
that  had  in  it  something  of  repulsion  as  well  as 
pleasure.  The  walls  of  the  cavern,  never  visited  by 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  were  thickly  covered  with 
those  marvellous  growths  that  form  the  connecting 
link  between  animal  and  vegetable  life,  and  lend 
plausibility  to  the  theories  of  certain  scientists  who 
contend  that  both  sprang  from  the  same  parent  atom. 
There  were  anemones,  clinging  cuplike  to  the  rock, 
with  waving  plumes  of  scarlet,  green,  and  orange  ten 
tacles,  and  throwing  off  countless  buds  that  in  time 
would  develop  the  same  beautiful  form  and  hues  of 
the  parent  plant-animal.  Pale  green  sponges,  drip 
ping  with  the  briny  moisture  that  the  tide  had  left  in 
their  numberless  canals ;  and  thousands  of  the  little 
shell  fish  called  "  acorn  shells  "  securely  anchored  to 
the  rock,  and  each  waving  a  tuft  of  transparent 
threads  like  a  curl  of  delicate  hair,  from  the  door  of 
his  shelly,  cone-shaped  home. 

Miss  Delphine  was  in  her  element,  and  her  com 
panions  could  do  no  less  than  listen  to  her  enthusi 
astic  comments. 

"  See  here,"  calling  their  attention  to  the  veritable 


"A  Sealed  Palace,  Rich  and  Dim"     173 

anemone  whose  chilly  welcome  had  so  disgusted 
Lois,  "  isn't  he  a  beauty?  He's  one  of  the  lasso- 
throwers  that  I  described  to  you,  Lois,  —  of  the  same 
family,  you  know,  as  the  jellyfish  and  coral  animal." 

"  A  beauty !  "  cried  Lois,  highly  indignant.  "  An 
ugly,  spiteful  old  thing,  I  call  him.  I  should  n't 
wonder  a  bit,"  ruefully  examining  the  endangered 
finger,  "  if  he  'd  poisoned  me  with  his  nasty  lasso." 

"  No  danger  of  that,"  and  Miss  Delphine  deliber 
ately  proceeded  to  place  her  own  finger  in  the  midst 
of  the  feathery  cluster.  "  The  lassos  are  so  minute 
that  they  make  no  impression  upon  a  person's  skin, 
but  they  serve  to  paralyze  the  small  slugs  and  sea 
worms  upon  which  the  creature  feeds." 

Here  Lois,  who  had  been  gradually  getting  up  her 
courage,  hastened  to  distinguish  herself  by  a  dis 
covery  on  her  own  account: 

"  See  here,  Cousin  Del,"  peering  curiously  into  a 
rocky  crevice  filled  with  water,  "  what  a  funny  crea 
ture  this  is.  He  looks  like  a  plump  brown  sausage." 

Miss  Delphine  was  all  alive  with  excitement. 

"  Where?  where?  Why,  I  really  do  believe  you  've 
found  a  sea-cucumber.  Yes,"  straining  her  eyes  to 
get  a  good  look  at  the  sluggish  creature  as  he  lay 
motionless  upon  his  rocky  couch,  "  yes,  there  are 
the  five  stripes  down  his  back,  and  oh,  girls !  do  see 
those  lovely  purple  tentacles  about  his  mouth.  I 
would  n't  have  missed  him  for  the  world."  And  the 
speaker  actually  trembled  with  the  joy  and  excite 
ment  of  the  unexpected  discovery. 

"  If  I  can  only  get  him,  —  where  's  the  pail,  Com 
fort?  " 


174  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

And  as  Comfort  hastily  produced  the  pail  filled 
with  sea  water  that  had  been  taken  along  with  them 
for  possible  "  specimens,"  Miss  Delphine  very  gin 
gerly  introduced  the  tips  of  her  fingers  into  the 
cucumber's  bath,  and  with  insinuating  gentleness 
proceeded  to  lift  the  unresisting  occupant  from  the 
water,  when  all  at  once,  with  a  swift,  gliding 
motion,  the  almost  captive  slipped  from  her  hand, 
and  in  an  instant,  discharging  from  its  body  the 
water  that  formed  nine-tenths  of  its  bulk,  simply 
effaced  itself  by  shrinking  into  a  crevice  so  small 
that  even  Lois's  slender  fingers  could  not  reach  him. 

"  That 's  one  of  his  tricks,"  cried  Miss  Delphine, 
not  a  little  disappointed,  while  both  girls  "  won 
dered  "  in  concert  at  his  remarkable  agility  and 
power  of  reducing  his  bulk  at  will. 

It  was  "  as  good  as  a  museum,"  declared  Lois, 
who,  now  used  to  the  dusk  and  dampness,  wandered 
fearlessly  about  the  rocky  chamber,  insisting  upon  a 
minute  examination  of  every  new  discovery,  and  en 
joying  herself  immensely  in  playing  the  tutor  to 
Comfort,  whose  bewilderment  in  the  face  of  all  these 
before  unheard-of  wonders  was  so  funny  that  it  called 
forth  peals  of  laughter  from  her  merry  mate,  and 
made  the  dim  old  cavern  echo  with  the  unfamiliar 
music.  Miss  Delphine  was  so  occupied  in  filling  her 
pail  with  rare  specimens  of  these  strange  cave 
dwellers  that  she  failed  to  notice  the  increasing 
gloom,  until  a  sudden  exclamation  from  one  of  the 
girls  aroused  her  to  a  consciousness  that  the  twilight 
was  fast  darkening  about  them,  while  the  soft  purr 
of  the  tide  without  had  swelled  into  a  hoarse,  angry 


"A  Sealed  Palace,  Rich  and  Dim"    175 

note,  that  had  something  ominous  and  threatening  to 
their  startled  ears. 

"  Bless  my  soul !  I  never  dreamed  that  it  was  get 
ting  so  late."  And  closely  followed  by  her  girlish 
companions,  Miss  Delphine  hurried  to  the  mouth  of 
the  cave,  where  she  stood  for  a  moment,  thunder 
struck  at  the  transformation  that  a  few  short  hours 
had  wrought  in  sky  and  ocean.  The  sea  was  of  an 
angry  green,  and  its  hurrying  waves,  thickly  dotted 
with  white  caps,  —  ominous  of  the  coming  storm,  — 
were  beaten  down  by  the  fierce  north  wind  that 
whirled  the  foamy  crests  far  to  leeward,  or  dashed 
them  against  the  grim  face  of  the  cliff  in  creamy 
patches,  bespattering  beach  and  boulder  with  the 
cold,  salt  spray.  The  fair  islands  that  had  lain 
almost  within  hailing  distance  upon  the  bosom  of 
the  placid  summer  sea  were  now  hidden  from  sight 
in  a  thick  gloom  of  gray  fog;  while  the  sea  gulls, 
skirmishing  with  fearless  wing  the  threatening  waves, 
sent  forth  a  shrill,  boding  cry,  that  to  an  imaginative 
mind  might  have  seemed  either  a  warning  or  a  dirge. 
But  Miss  Delphine's  was  not  an  imaginative  mind, 
and  after  the  first  start  of  surprise  with  which  she 
had  recognized  the  coming  storm,  she  lost  no  time 
in  useless  regrets  or  fears,  but  with  a  cheerful  word 
of  encouragement  to  Lois,  took  her  hand,  and  led  by 
Comfort,  hastened  across  the  rocky  beach  in  the 
direction  from  which  they  had  come  a  few  hours 
before. 

To  the  Island-bred  girl  the  way  though  rough  was 
by  no  means  impassable,  although  the  tide  was  now 
coming  in  so  fast  that  they  were  soon  drenched  from 


1 76  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

head  to  foot  with  the  spray,  and  the  rocks,  made 
slippery  by  the  damp,  served  as  so  many  traps  for 
their  unused  feet.  They  were  now  forced  to  abandon 
the  smoother  sand  and  clamber  as  best  they  could 
over  the  decaying  tree  trunks  and  debris  that  the 
ocean  had  flung  from  time  to  time  upon  the  unreturn- 
ing  shore,  and  which  now  lay  in  hopeless  confusion, 
bleached  and  battered  by  the  remorseless  hand  of 
Time. 

Lois  was  soon  crying  bitterly  with  fatigue  and  cold, 
while  Miss  Delphine  tried  hard  to  keep  up  her  own 
spirits  as  well  as  those  of  her  charge,  by  the  hopeful 
prophecy  that  "  the  way  would  certainly  be  easier 
soon."  But  swiftly,  surely,  the  gray  damp  fog  closed 
in  upon  them,  absorbing  them  into  its  cold,  grim 
folds,  making  her  feel,  —  Miss  Delphine  declared 
afterwards,  —  as  if  some  giant  antediluvian  jellyfish 
was  making  a  meal  of  them  after  his  own  peculiar 
fashion.  Every  landmark  was  hidden,  not  a  moun 
tain  peak,  not  an  island,  not  a  familiar  tree  even  was 
visible  through  the  dense  veil,  while  the  sometime 
smiling,  bland,  and  hospitable  sea  was  transformed 
into  a  ravening  beast  of  prey,  whose  every  spring 
brought  him  nearer  to  their  trembling  feet,  and  sent 
the  foam  from  his  fierce  lips  upon  their  frightened, 
bewildered  faces. 

Dear,  blessed,  little  Comfort!  What  would  they 
have  done  without  her  cheery  guidance  and  helpful 
suggestions?  Inured  to,  and  almost  as  much  at 
home  in  the  fog  and  tempest  as  the  gulls  themselves, 
she  had  need  of  little  thought  for  her  own  comfort 
and  safety,  and  with  her  help  and  encouragement  the 


"A  Sealed  Palace,  Rich  and  Dim"    177 

hardest  part  of  the  tramp  had  actually  been  accom 
plished,  when  suddenly  Miss  Delphine's  uncertain 
feet  slipped,  and  she  fell  heavily  to  the  ground, 
uttering  a  cry  of  mingled  pain  and  dismay  that  terri 
fied  beyond  measure  her  young  companions,  as  they 
tried  in  vain  to  lift  her  from  the  wet  sand  upon  which 
she  had  fallen.  Lois  sank  helplessly  upon  her  knees 
beside  her,  and  took  the  cold  damp  hands  in  her  own  : 

"What  is  it,  Cousin  Del?"  she  sobbed,  "Where 
are  you  hurt?  " 

"It  is  my  ankle,  —  I'm  afraid  I've  sprained  it." 
And  rallying  all  her  powers  of  self  control,  the  in 
jured  woman  made  a  desperate  effort  to  sit  upright, 
and  smiled  faintly  into  the  dismayed  faces  bending 
over  her.  "  One  thing  is  certain,  I  can't  get  away 
from  here  without  help." 

Lois  uttered  a  cry  of  despair,  but  Comfort's  voice 
was  steady  and  even  cheerful  as  she  said  with  a 
promptness  that  carried  hope  with  it: 

"  It  is  n't  very  far  from  here  to  old  Sol's  cabin,  as  I 
reckon  it.  And  if  we  can  get  you  up  a  little  farther 
among  the  pines,  you  '11  be  kind  of  sheltered  from 
the  spray,  and  with  this  shawl  over  you,  maybe  you 
won't  so  much  mind  waitin'  while  I  run  ahead  and 
get  somebody  to  come  and  help." 

"  It  seems  the  only  thing  to  do,"  admitted  Miss 
Delphine,  suppressing  a  groan,  "  but  are  you  sure 
you  know  the  way,  and  won't  get  lost  in  the  fog 
yourself  ?  " 

Comfort  actually  laughed,  a  pleasant  little  ripple 
upon  that  great  ocean  of  sound  that  roared  about 
them. 

12 


178  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  I  could  find  my  way  in  the  darkest  night  that 
ever  was,"  she  returned  confidently;  "and  it  won't 
take  me  long  either." 

Then  half  dragging,  half  supporting  their  almost 
helpless  burden,  the  girls  at  length  succeeded  in 
establishing  her  in  a  comparatively  comfortable  spot 
under  the  shelter  of  a  big  boulder,  out  of  whose 
side  a  young  pine  had  sprung,  whose  lusty  branches 
helped  to  keep  the  now  fast-falling  raindrops  from 
her  otherwise  undefended  head.  Poor  Lois  was  so 
completely  exhausted  that  she  could  only  nestle  close 
to  Miss  Delphine's  side,  and  drawing  the  skirt  of  her 
flannel  dress  over  her  head,  cling  to  her  shivering 
but  silent,  too  much  spent  to  even  reply  to  Comfort's 
cheery  admonition  to  "  keep  up  a  good  heart  and 
not  to  forget  to  keep  a  lookout  along  shore  for  the 
lantern  that  the  old  fisherman  would  bring  with  him 
in  his  search  for  them."  A  moment  more  and  the 
slender,  active  figure  had  faded  into  the  mists,  and 
the  two,  left  alone  in  that  desolate  place,  felt  a  new, 
strange  sense  of  utter  desolation  creeping  over  them, 
as  if  the  last  link  that  bound  them  to  their  kind  had 
been  suddenly  severed,  and  they  left  in  the  outer 
darkness  of  an  unpeopled,  impenetrable  world  of  fog 
and  mists. 

Queer,  weird  fancies  chased  each  other  across  Miss 
Delphine's  brain,  —  fancies  that  made  her  smile  even 
in  her  pain  and  loneliness,  for  it  was  as  if  a  band  of 
tricksy  elves  had  chosen  the  Widow  Scripture's 
potato  patch  for  their  midnight  revels.  Ariels,  in 
long,  trailing  robes  of  violet  fog,  beckoned  to  her 
from  the  overhanging  cliff;  while  gray,  filmy-winged 


"A  Sealed  Palace,  Rich  and  Dim"     179 

creatures,  purple-haired  like  the  ghosts  of  departed 
sea  anemones,  flitted,  crept,  and  crawled  over  the 
wet  sands  and  rocks,  or  held  high  carnival  in  the 
fast-filling  pools  that  the  rising  tide  had  created.  A 
quotation  from  Homer,  learned  long  ago  in  her 
school  days,  came  back  to  her  there  in  the  darkness 
and  gloom,  and  poor  little  Lois  actually  shook  with 
terror,  thinking  her  delirious,  as  she  muttered  the 
words,  not  so  inappropriate  really,  with  the  odor  of 
decaying  herring  in  their  nostrils. 

"  Now  doth  our  ambush  seem 
Beyond  endurance,  for  the  noisome  smell 
Of  those  sea-nourished  creatures  sickens  us, 
And  who  could  bear  to  sleep  beside  a  whale  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Cousin  Del !  "  sobbed  the  girl  clutching  her 
arm  in  her  nervous  grasp,  "  please  talk  about  '  for- 
minifira,'  or  '  miliolites,'  or  '  orbitolites,'  or  any  other 
'  lites  '  if  you  want  to,  but  don't  quote  poetry  here 
or  I  shall  go  crazy,  too." 

"  You  ridiculous  little  goose !  " 

Miss  Delphine  laughed  aloud  and  the  spell  was 
broken.  The  fog,  the  sea,  and  the  creeping  tide 
were  only  everyday  things  after  all,  and  the  two  set 
tled  down  in  comparative  comfort,  keeping,  as  they 
had  been  warned  to  do,  a  sharp  lookout  for  the 
promised  light  that  was  to  be  to  them  the  herald 
of  shelter,  warmth,  and  it  was  to  be  hoped  a  good 
supper  as  well. 


CHAPTER  XX 

"I    LIKE    STRONG    MEN    AND    LARGE;    I    LIKE    GRAY 
HEADS " 

LOOK 'ere  you  Mandy?" 
Sol  always  gave  a  rising  inflection  to  his  voice 
when  addressing  this  member  of  the  family,  that 
might  mean  either  a  doubt  of  her  presence  or  of 
her  personality,  or  even  of  both.  Mandy  on  her 
side  evidently  understood  the  remark  as  an  interrog 
ative  for  after  the  manner  of  her  race  and  place, 
she  replied  to  it  with  another: 

"  Well,  gran'daddy,  what  is  it?  " 

The  old  man  smoked  his  pipe  meditatively  for  a 
few  minutes  before  he  deigned  a  reply,  and  when 
he  did  speak  there  was  a  foggy  irrelevancy  about 
his  words  that  would  have  left  a  stranger  com 
pletely  in  the  dark  as  to  what  point  he  was  steering 
for. 

"  They  say,  them  as  knows,  that  they  're  more 
likely  to  be  caught  nappin'  on  a  wild  night  like 
this  than  when  the  moon  shines." 

Mandy  tossed  a  flapjack  into  the  air  and  dextrously 
caught  it  brown  side  up,  in  the  long-handled  iron 
skillet,  while  her  childish  face,  aglow  in  the  firelight, 
suddenly  assumed  a  troubled,  anxious  look,  as  she 
glanced  across  at  the  bent  form  of  the  old  fisher 
man  in  the  chimney  corner,  who  rather  from  force 


"I  Like  Strong  Men  and  Large"     181 

of  habit  than  from  any  actual  craving  for  the 
warmth,  was  spreading  his  big,  toil-worn  hands  to 
catch  as  much  as  possible  of  the  genial  blaze. 

"  Gran'daddy,  that 's  fool's  gold,  jest  as  true  's  you 
live." 

"  Mebbe  't  is,  Mandy,  an'  then  ag'in,  mebbe  't  ain't." 
And  drawing  from  some  secret  pocket  of  his  rough 
pea-jacket  a  battered  leathern  wallet,  he  produced 
from  it  a  piece  of  soiled  paper  worn  and  creased 
by  much  handling,  and  bending  nearer  the  fire 
began  with  much  difficulty  to  trace  out  the  irregu 
lar  lines  faintly  visible  by  the  flickering  light;  "  Le 's 
see, —  you  steer  straight  up  the  road  fur's  Higgins's 
ile  shed  then  turn  to  yer  left  an' —  see  here,  you 
Jake,  yer  eyes  air  younger 'n  mine,  du  you  call  that 
a  mark,  or  ain't  it  nothin'  but  a  crease  in  the  paper?  " 

Jake,  a  tall,  shy,  shambling  lad,  whose  chief  aim  in 
life  seemed  to  be,  like  that  of  the  sea  cucumber,  to 
efface  himself  as  far  as  possible  from  the  sight  and 
touch  of  humanity  in  general,  approached  awk 
wardly  and  looked  over  the  old  man's  shoulder 
with  a  furtive,  half-uncertain  air  as  of  an  unde 
fended  hermit  crab  looking  out  for  a  new  house. 

"  Ya'as,  she  's  a  crease,  I  shou'd  say." 

The  old  man  gave  a  dissatisfied  snort,  and  the  youth 
scuttled  back  to  his  seat  upon  the  dye-pot  cover  with 
such  absurd  haste  that  he  came  near  overturning 
the  little  supper  table,  thereby  calling  forth  a  char 
acteristic  rebuke  from  Mandy,  that  seemed  to  be 
wilder  him  still  more,  for  in  his  flurry  he  managed 
to  dislodge  the  bit  of  board  that  served  as  a  cover, 
and  set  himself  fairly  down  into  the  odorous  liquid, 


1 82  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

that  splashed  not  only  over  himself,  but  painted  wall 
and  floor  with  picturesque  patches  of  the  deepest 
indigo. 

"  Wa'al,  you  gump  !  you  Ve  been  an'  done  it  now," 
cried  the  girl  with  a  burst  of  derisive  laughter  that, 
coupled  with  his  wretched  plight,  actually  aroused 
the  unfortunate  lad  to  something  like  indignation. 

"  Try  it  yerself,  'f  ye  think  it 's  fun  gettin'  ducked 
in  a  darnation  old  dye-pot,"  he  grumbled,  as  with 
Sol's  help  he  managed  to  extricate  himself  from 
his  unpleasant  predicament,  and  stood  erect  with 
the  sombre  fluid  dripping  from  every  thread  and 
ragged  edge  of  his  dilapidated  trousers.  "  I  call  it  a 
darned  mean  trick  ter  set  a  stinkin'  old  trap  like 
that  f'r  a  feller,  and  then  set  up  a  cackle  when 
he's  in." 

But  Mandy's  heart  was  as  hard  as  the  nether  mill 
stone. 

"  Hain't  I  told  ye,  time  an'  time  ag'in,  that  that 
air  cover  was  onsafe?  And  hain't  you  jest  anchored 
yerself  thar  night  after  night,  when  you  might  'a' 
had  a  stool  f'r  yerself,  as  well  as  the  rest  on  us?  " 

Both  tone  and  words  were  so  exasperating  that 
the  offended  Jake  could  find  no  terms  in  his  limited 
vocabulary  strong  enough  to  express  his  feelings,  and 
silently  retiring,  with  his  parti-colored  rags  still  drip 
ping  fragrance,  into  the  darkest  corner  of  the  cabin, 
he  sullenly  refused  to  join  them  at  supper,  although 
old  Sol,  whose  hearty  soul  could  not  endure  to  see 
even  a  dog  go  hungry,  condescended,  after  a  fashion 
of  his  own,  to  "entreat"  him. 

"Come   now,  like  a  man,  —  an'  don't  skulk  in  a 


"I  Like  Strong  Men  and  Large"     183 

corner  like  a  boss  mackerel  that 's  lost  'is  tail.  These 
jo-floggers  air  prime,  an'  make  about  the  best  ballast 
that  a  man  c'n  have  f  r  a  night's  cruise." 

Jake  said  nothing,  but  Mandy  took  up  the  word 
with  suspicious  eagerness: 

"  What  d'  ye  mean  by  that,  gran'daddy  ?  "  she  asked 
with  the  imperious  air  of  one  who  knows  that  her 
word  is  law.  "  You  don't  mean  that  you  're  goin' 
gold  diggin'  to-night  in  this  blow?" 

The  old  man  laid  down  his  knife  and  fork,  and 
drawing  the  back  of  his  hand  across  his  mouth  in 
lieu  of  a  napkin,  slowly  and  gravely  replied  : 

"  That's  jest  what  I  'm  goin'  ter  do.  Did  n't  that 
feller  that  had  the  jaw  with  Cap'n  Kidd's  sperit,  tell 
us  we  'd  have  ter  take  a  dark  night  with  a  high  wind, 
so  't  the  sperits  'd  be  under  cover?  " 

"  Ye-es,"  assented  Mandy,  with  evident  reluctance, 
while  Jake  from  his  corner  gave  vent  to  a  queer,  rum 
bling  sound  that  might  have  been  a  groan,  although 
it  sounded  very  much  like  "  darned  old  fool !  "  "  But 
now,  gran'daddy,  you  mark  my  words,"  and  the  small 
maid  placed  her  hands  on  her  hips,  and  assumed  that 
attitude  of  feminine  authority  that  the  fisher  wives  of 
the  hamlet  affected  on  occasions  of  difference  between 
themselves  and  their  brawny  lords,  "  you  won't  never 
find  no  money  by  diggin'  for  it.  All  the  money  you'll 
get  '11  be  dug  out  o'  the  sea  with  a  trawl  f  r  a  shovel." 

The  old  man  laughed  a  little  shamefacedly  as  he 
took  down  the  old  tin  lantern  and  proceeded  to  re 
place  the  half-burned  candle  with  a  fresh  one. 

"  I  believe  there  's  gold  thar,  or  I  would  n't  'a'  spent 
all  my  hard  airnin's  in  buyin'  up  a  lot  o'  land  that  a 


1 84  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

grasshopper 'd  starve  on.  The  man  talked  honest,  and 
I  hain't  a  bit  o'  doubt  but  what  Cap'n  Kidd's  sperit 
told  'im  was  true.  You  see,  a  sperit,  not  havin'  no 
use  f  r  money  itself,  would  n't  naterally  begrutch  it  to 
anybody  that'd  made  a  good  use  of  it." 

"  Then  what 's  he  sneakin*  round,  keepin'  an  eye 
on  it  for?  "  demanded  Mandy  shrewdly.  "  I  believe, 
gran'daddy,"  she  added  with  solemn  deliberateness, 
"  that  that  air  feller  were  a  sucker,  an'  that  he  were 
jest  playin'  you  with  store-flies  that  had  n't  no  meat 
in  'em." 

The  old  man  looked  really  mortified  and  hurt. 

"  Now  Mandy,  — "  he  began,  but  the  sentence  was 
never  finished,  for  just  then  came  a  tap  upon  the 
door,  and  in  an  instant  more  the  white,  anxious  face 
of  Comfort  Hadlock  looked  in  upon  them,  and  her 
voice,  faint  and  hoarse  from  her  hard  walk  through 
the  damp,  windy  night,  called  out  with  the  uncere 
moniousness  that  marked  the  intercourse  of  the  simple 
villagers  upon  all  occasions  great  and  small : 

"  Uncle  Sol,  hurry  up,  do !  Miss  Delphine  and 
Lois  are  back  here  a  mile  or  so  on  the  beach, — and 
Miss  Delphine's  hurt  her  ankle  so't  she  can't  step  a 
step.  I  run  ahead  to  get  you  to  go  and  help  them." 

"  Wa-all,  so  ye  did,  —  so  I  will,"  cried  the  fisherman 
bestirring  himself  with  a  will,  while  Jake,  emerging 
from  his  sulky  retirement,  seemed  all  at  once  inspired 
with  new  life,  as,  under  the  old  man's  directions,  he 
bustled  about,  bringing  out  the  only  chair  that  the 
cabin  afforded,  —  a  broad,  strong-armed,  splint-bot 
tomed  affair,  —  which,  with  the  aid  of  a  couple  of  oars 
was  speedily  improvised  into  a  very  respectable  sedan 


"I  Like  Strong  Men  and  Large"     185 

chair,  in  which  not  only  the  helpless  lady  herself  but 
her  young  companion,  might,  with  some  squeezing,  be 
fairly  well  accommodated. 

Comfort,  though  exhausted  and  wet,  would  willingly 
have  gone  back  with  the  relief  party,  but  upon  this 
project  old  Sol  very  peremptorily  put  his  foot. 

"  You  c'n  give  me  the  bearin's,  an'  I  c'n  haul  'em  in 
without  no  help  from  you.  Besides,"  with  a  quick 
glance  at  Mandy's  half- frightened  face,  "  you  c'n  give 
my  little  gal  a  p'int  or  two  as  ter  what  '11  need  to  be 
done  f'r  'em,  when  they  're  once  in  port." 

So,  after  giving  the  needed  directions,  Comfort 
made  herself  at  home  in  the  little  cabin,  helping  the 
bewildered  Mandy  to  spread  clean  blankets  upon  her 
own  bed,  —  which  was  in  the  farthest  corner  of  the 
cabin,  and  in  deference  to  her  sex  was  modestly  par 
titioned  off  with  an  old,  much  bepatched  sail,  that 
made  an  effective  if  not  exactly  elegant  screen  for  the 
humblelittle  bedchamber.  The  teakettle  was  hung  over 
the  fire,  and  Mandy,  encouraged  and  aided  by  the 
"  Squire's  gal,"  soon  had  an  appetizing  supper  ready 
for]  the  coming  guests:  fresh  herring,  not  two  hours 
out  of  their  native  element,  and  fried  to  a  delicious 
brown  by  Mandy's  experienced  hand,  a  hot  spider  cake 
or,  as  Mandy  called  it,  a  "  fresh  smother,"  lobster 
scarce  cold  from  the  kettle,  and  a  cup  of  tea,  strong, 
and  black,  and  bitter,  but  wonderfully  invigorating  to 
tired  bodies  and  strained  nerves.  With  wide,  wonder 
ing  eyes,  the  small  mistress  of  the  cabin  regarded  the 
setting  of  the  table,  a  task  that  Comfort  took  upon 
herself,  spreading  over  it  a  bit  of  clean  white  canvas 
that  she  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  among  Sol's 


1 86  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

stores,  and  setting  the  few  rude  cracked  dishes  upon 
it  in  as  tempting  and  orderly  a  fashion  as  possible. 

"  Me  'n'  gran'daddy  likes  sweetenin'  in  our  tea," 
suggested  Mandy,  as  she  saw  the  dipper  of  molasses 
removed  to  make  room  for  other  dishes.  "Our  one 
'  stravagance  he  calls  it."  And  she  looked  at  her 
companion  with  such  untamed,  innocent  eyes,  that 
the  girl  had  not  the  heart  to  dispel  her  little  illusion 
by  hinting  that  this  poor  luxury  of  the  fisherman's 
cabin  would  be  regarded  as  a  most  undesirable  addi 
tion  to  their  meal,  by  the  city-bred  strangers. 

"  If  they  want  their  tea  sweetened  they  can  say  so," 
she  said  with  assumed  brusqueness,  while  Mandy,  no 
longer  concerned  about  the  menu,  watched  and  lis 
tened,  running  every  other  minute  to  the  door  to  peer 
out  into  the  damp  darkness  for  a  glimpse  of  the  ap 
proaching  lantern,  and  quite  as  often  slipping  slyly 
behind  the  canvas  curtain  to  give  a  finishing  pat  to 
the  humble  little  bed  that,  with  its  clean  blankets, 
and  downy  pillows  filled  with  sea-birds'  feathers,  was, 
to  her  uneducated  eye  the  very  tip-top  of  elegance, 
—  a  couch  fit  for  one  of  the  nereids.  And  yet,  when 
the  party  actually  arrived,  wet,  tired,  but  in  remark 
ably  good  spirits,  Mandy  had  vanished,  —  not  a  tag 
of  her  faded  gown,  nor  even  a  glint  of  her  yellow 
hair  to  reveal  her  hiding-place.  Comfort  was  left  to 
play  the  hostess,  and  after  seeing  them  comfortably 
warmed  and  dried,  to  serve  up  the  hot  toothsome 
supper,  to  which  all  did  full  credit,  Miss  Delphine 
declaring  that  nothing  in  all  her  life  had  ever  tasted 
so  good  as  the  fresh  sweet  fish  and  strong  tea. 

Lois,  too,  had    regained    all  her   natural  vivacity, 


"I  Like  Strong  Men  and  Large"    187 

and  with  that  instinctive  craving  for  admiration  that 
was  as  much  a  part  of  herself  as  her  eyes  and  hair, 
set  herself  to  work  to  charm  and  bedazzle  the 
unsophisticated  fishermen,  keeping  old  Sol  open- 
mouthed  with  delighted  wonderment  over  her  merry 
chatter,  and  smiling  so  bewitchingly  on  Jake  that, 
when  it  was  suggested  that  he  travel  through  all  the 
darkness  and  rain  to  carry  news  of  their  safety  to 
the  anxious  friends  at  home,  he  actually  started  off 
without  a  word  of  objection,  —  something  so  un 
precedented  on  his  part  that  the  old  fisherman 
looked  after  him  in  innocent  amazement. 

"  What's  got  ter  the  lad?"  he  exclaimed  wonder- 
ingly ;  "  I  hain't  so  sure,"  with  a  comical  glance  at  the 
bespattered  floor,  "but  a  duckin'  in  the  dye-pot 'd  do 
him  good  as  often  as  once  a  week."  Then,  to  Lois's 
intense  delight,  he  went  on  to  describe  in  his  dry, 
humorous  fashion,  poor  Jake's  strange  mishap,  with 
its  uncomfortable  consequences.  Under  cover  of  the 
general  laughter,  Mandy  contrived  to  slip  in  from 
nobody  could  guess  where,  and  timidly  sheltering 
herself  behind  her  grandfather  looked  out  from 
under  his  arm,  as  silent,  watchful,  and  shy  as  some 
half-tamed  wild  animal,  which,  while  trusting  the 
hand  of  its  tamer,  looks  with  distrustful  wonder  upon 
all  the  world  besides. 

Even  Lois  found  her  merry  spells  unavailing  here. 
Not  a  word  or  smile  could  she  wile  from  those  shy, 
silent  lips;  while  to  Miss  Delphine's  friendly  ad 
vances  the  old  man  was  forced  to  respond  instead  : 

"  She  hain't  never  had  the  chance,  Mandy  hain't, 
ter  get  acquainted  with  folks,"  and  he  rubbed  her 


1 88  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

timid  head  with  his  elbow,  much  as  a  fatherly  cod 
might  caress  the  young  one  swimming  beside  him, 
with  a  convenient  flipper.  "  But  the  time  '11  come, 
'fore  soon,  maybe,  —  who  knows?  that  she'll  hold  up 
her  head  with  the  best.  Fine  clo'es,  schooling  an'  a 
two-story  house  painted  white  —  " 

"  With  green  blin's,  gran'daddy,"  piped  up  an  eager 
voice  behind  his  chair. 

"  Yes,  with  green  blin's,"  and  the  old  man  winked 
shrewdly  at  his  amused  audience,  "  an',  —  lemme 
see,  what  else?" 

"  A  'cordion  to  play  on." 

"  Yes,  a  'cordion ;  an'  a  pinkie  all  'er  own,  painted 
green,  —  " 

"  No,  no,  gran'daddy !  white,  with  a  green  stripe 
round  'er."  And  forgetting  in  the  delights  of  castle 
building  all  her  shyness,  Mandy  actually  climbed 
into  the  old  man's  arms,  and  with  flushed  cheeks, 
and  restless  hands  stroking  his  gray-bearded  face, 
poured  forth  in  an  odd  jargon  of  sea  and  shore 
words  and  phrases  the  pent-up  aspirations  of  her 
untrained  soul. 

Knowing  how  great  must  be  the  anxiety  of  her 
mother  and  brother,  Miss  Delphine  was  not  at  all 
surprised  on  rising  from  the  breakfast  table  at  an 
early  hour  the  next  morning,  to  hear  the  welcome 
sound  of  wheels  and  to  catch  sight  of  Robert's  face 
as  he  drove  up  to  the  door  where  old  Sol,  with  the 
unaccustomed  honors  of  a  host  fresh  upon  him, 
stood  beaming  a  most  hospitable  welcome. 

"  Ye  '11  find  yer  strays  all  right !  "  he  shouted, 
giving  the  young  man's  hand  a  grip  that  made  him 


"I  Like  Strong  Men  and  Large"    189 

wince;  "  but  'f  it  had  n't  been  f'r  me  an'  Jake  an'  the 
Squire's  little  gal  they  'd  'a'  been  in  pretty  poor 
sleddin',  I  'm  afraid." 

Miss  Delphine  was  evidently  of  the  same  opinion, 
for  besides  expressing  her  heartiest  thanks,  she  ven 
tured  with  some  diffidence  to  press  upon  her  host  a 
generous  remuneration  for  his  services,  which  was 
indignantly  refused.  He  "  did  n't  sell  kindness,"  and 
in  spite  of  all  that  Robert  and  his  sister  could  urge, 
he  proudly  persisted  in  his  refusal  to  accept  money 
for  his  hospitality.  It  was  his  one  pride,  his  right  as 
an  honest  man  and  a  householder  to  exercise  his 
hospitality  without  let  or  stint  to  equal  and  superior 
alike,  and  the  thanks  of  these  rich,  idle,  city  folks, 
whose  lavishness  was  the  wonder  of  the  hamlet,  was 
a  bigger  feather  in  his  cap,  according  to  his  ideas, 
than  any  costly  gifts  that  they  might  have  bestowed 
upon  him.  But  Mandy,  ragged  little  Mandy,  with 
her  bare  feet  and  her  one  shabby  gown,  what  cared 
she  for  the  privilege  of  hospitality  upon  which  her 
grandfather  so  prided  himself  ?  But  she  did  not 
know  that  he  noticed  her  whispered  words  to  the 
lady  at  parting,  or  that  noticing  them  he  was  shrewd 
enough  to  guess  their  import,  until,  as  the  carriage 
disappeared  around  the  curve  he  turned  upon  her 
with  eyes  of  grave  reproach. 

"  Mandy,  come  here." 

Mandy  obeyed,  with  a  hang-dog  look  that  was  in 
itself  a  confession  of  guilt. 

"  What  did  you  say  to  them  folks  out  thar?  " 

"  I  did  n't  ask  'em  for  no  money,  gran'daddy," 
cried  the  girl,  the  guilty  crimson  spreading  to 


190  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  very  roots  of  her  hair,  "  I  never  did,  honest 
true." 

"  Mandy,"  and  now  there  was  surprise  as  well  as 
sorrow  in  his  tones,  "  I  would  n't  'a'  thought  it  of  ye, 
truly  I  would  n't."  Mandy  hid  her  face  and  cried 
softly  into  a  corner  of  her  ragged  apron.  "We're 
poor  an'  ignorant,  the  Lord  knows,  but  we  ain't  got 
quite  so  low  that  we  c'n  demean  ourselves  ter  take 
pay  f  r  a  common  act  of  neighborly  civility.  Yes, 
pay,  Mandy,  —  f'r  it  amounts  to  the  same  thing 
whether  it's  in  money  or — " 

"  A  new  frock,"  appended  the  conscience-stricken 
Mandy. 

"  Yes,  or  a  new  frock.  I  don't  want  ter  be  ha'ash 
or  onreasonable,  an'  I  wa'  n't  never  ashamed  of  yer 
ragged  clo'es  or  yer  bare  feet  —  whatever  ye  think. 
But  when  it  comes  ter  this,  that  a  gran'darter  o' 
mine  '11  try  ter  make  my  honest  manhood  pay  f'r  fine 
feathers  to  deck  'erself  out  in,  I  '11  own  ter  bein'  that 
mortified  that  I  'd  be  glad  ter  hide  my  head  in  the 
very  first  pigpen  I  come  to." 

"  I  won't  take  the  frock,  gran'daddy,  'f  you  say  so," 
sobbed  the  culprit,  "  but  oh  !  I  did  want  it  awful." 

"  An'  you  shall  have  it,  Mandy,"  and  there  was 
something  pathetic  in  the  smile  with  which  he  re 
garded  the  sobbing  girl.  "  I  won't  invest  in  that 
other  piece  o'  land  I  'lotted  on  ;  you  shall  have  a 
frock  an'  some  shoes  into  the  bargain.  How  '11  that 
do?" 

"  You  're  awful  clever,  gran'daddy." 

And  so  both  were  satisfied. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

"OF   GENTLE   BLOOD   AND   MANNERS" 

THE  injury  to  Miss  Delphine's  ankle  proved  not 
to  be  so  slight  as  at  first  appeared,  and  greatly 
to  her  disgust  the  energetic  lady  was  forced  to  con 
fine  herself  to  the  house  and  her  armchair  for  several 
weeks,  during  which  time  she  solaced  herself  with 
studying  the  various  specimens  of  island  flora  that 
the  girls  brought  her,  or,  much  to  Comfort's  delight, 
gave  them  a  lesson  now  and  then  in  reading,  by  let 
ting  them  read  by  turns  from  some  book  that  she 
thought  likely  to  interest  as  well  as  instruct  them. 
That  was  before  the  days  of  "  object  teaching,"  so 
called,  but  Miss  Delphine  was  a  born  teacher,  and 
instinctively  chose  the  best  means  that  came  to  hand 
to  interest  her  pupils,  and  incite  them  to  study  out 
for  themselves  many  things  that  were  not  written 
down  in  the  text  books  of  their  day.  An  old  Indian 
pipe  found  in  one  of  the  shell  heaps  with  which  the 
island  abounded  served  as  a  text  for  lessons  on  Sir 
Walter  Raleigh,  the  settlement  in  Virginia,  the  dis 
covery  of  tobacco,  and  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 
Here  Lois  was  in  her  element,  her  imagination 
fairly  revelling  in  pictures  of  the  stately  virgin  queen 
and  her  gallant  courtier,  admiral,  and  poet;  while  the 
story  of  the  brave  cavaliers,  who  dared  the  dangers 


192  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

of  an  almost  unknown  deep  to  plant  the  flag  of  their 
country  upon  the  shores  of  a  new  world,  sent  the  hot 
blood  tingling  to  Comfort's  finger  ends,  and  made 
leathern  jerkin  and  slashed  doublet  alike  glorious  in 
her  eyes.  The  one  was  dazzled  with  the  outside 
show  and  glitter,  the  other  looked  deeper  for  the  un- 
purchasable  jewel  of  manly  worth  and  courage  that 
no  mean  attire  or  circumstance  could  mar,  or  ducal 
coronet  adorn. 

It  was  this  trait  in  the  Squire's  little  daughter  that, 
apart  from  all  her  innocent,  winsome  ways,  made  her 
a  decided  favorite  with  the  blunt,  unaffected  woman, 
whose  honest  soul  had  been  for  years  constantly 
fretted  and  annoyed  by  the  petty  inconsistencies  and 
small  subterfuges  of  a  life  where  outside  appearances 
were  all,  and  where  the  soul  might  shrivel  and  harden 
like  the  kernel  of  a  dry  acorn  if  only  the  shell  were 
smooth,  and  plump,  and  fair  to  look  upon.  Her  own 
lack  of  tact  had,  as  she  well  knew,  gone  far  to  lessen 
her  influence  in  home  and  social  circles,  and  none 
knew  better  than  herself  the  opinion  that  her  mother's 
fashionable  friends  held  in  regard  to  her,  "  So  un 
ladylike  in  her  tastes,  and  a  perfect  dowdy." 

She  might  have  been  a  selfish,  heartless,  deceitful 
coquette,  with  no  more  heart  in  her  bosom  than  the 
rocky  figure  of  the  Assyrian  over  yonder,  but  she 
would  have  been  petted  and  caressed  by  her  own 
sex,  and  adored  by  the  other,  even  though  behind  her 
back  they  called  her  "jilt"  and  "flirt,"  possibly  a 
harsher  name.  But  Comfort,  young  and  unsophisti 
cated,  while  the  soul  of  candor  and  honesty,  had  yet 
that  rare  gift,  —  rarer  than  most  people  suppose,  — 


"  Of  Gentle  Blood  and  Manners  "    193 

of  holding  inflexibly  to  her  own  ideas  of  right  and 
wrong  without  making  herself  in  the  least  obnoxious 
to  those  of  opposite  opinions. 

Of  all  things  in  the  world  Miss  Delphine  had  a 
passion  for  symmetry,  that  nice  proportion  that  the 
student  of  Nature  finds  everywhere  in  her  vast  realm, 
in  which  no  part  dwarfs  or  overtops  another,  but  each 
performs  its  own  functions  in  its  own  way  without  let 
or  hindrance  from  the  rest.  And  this  mental  and 
moral  symmetry  she  had  found  where  she  would 
never  have  dreamed  of  looking  for  it,  in  the  home- 
trained,  unpretentious  daughter  of  a  plain  Mount 
Desert  farmer.  Lois  was  delighted  to  see  with  what 
favor  her  friend  was  received  by  one  and  all.  Even 
Mrs.  Humbre,  after  the  first  uneasy  suspiciousness 
with  which  she  regarded  the  rustic  dress  and  speech 
of  the  little  country  maiden,  began  to  look  upon  her 
with  an  interest  that  gradually  warmed  into  unquali 
fied  approval  as  she  found  that  the  girl  was  gifted 
with  that  unexplainable  magnetic  power  by  means  of 
which  her  small  hands  were  able  to  charm  away  the 
pain  of  an  aching  head,  —  a  task  that  their  owner 
gladly  undertook  whenever  her  services  were  needed, 
—  to  the  nervous  invalid's  great  satisfaction  and 
comfort. 

"  I  don't  see,"  remarked  that  lady  one  evening,  as, 
attended  by  her  family,  she  sat  upon  the  western 
piazza,  enjoying  one  of  those  superb  sunsets  seen 
nowhere  but  at  Mount  Desert,  "  I  don't  see  where 
that  little  Hadlock  girl  got  her  gentle,  modest,  unob 
trusive  manners.  I  don't  believe  she  could  do  a  rude 
or  awkward  thing  under  any  circumstances.  And  yet, 

13 


1 94  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

before  we  came  here,  I  doubt  if  she  ever  was  in  the 
society  of  a  really  well-bred  person  in  all  her  life." 

Robert  and  his  sister  exchanged  amused  glances, 
as  the  former  said  in  a  meditative  tone : 

"  I  fancy  she  did  n't  '  get'  them  at  all.  They  are  a 
part  of  herself,  not  a  graft  upon  the  original  wild 
stock." 

"  She  is  never  awkward,"  interposed  Miss  Delphine, 
"because  she  has  so  little  self-consciousness;  and 
she  is  never  rude  because  she  consults  other  people's 
conveniences  and  tastes  before  her  own." 

"  She  is  a  very  interesting  and  agreeable  little  girl," 
—  and  Mrs.  Humbre  frowned  at  Lois,  who  had  care 
lessly  trodden  on  Flora's  tail,  thus  making  that  pam 
pered  pet  give  mouth  to  a  sharp  yelp.  "  I  have  been 
thinking  that  with  proper  training  she  would  make 
an  excellent  maid  for  Lois,  when  the  child  is  ready 
to  '  come  out.'  I  have  half  a  mind  to  offer  to  take 
her  to  Boston  with  me  and  let  Jane  teach  her  dress 
making  so  that  she  will  understand  the  care  and 
arrangement  of  Lois's  clothes.  Then  she  could  learn 
hair  dressing  from  Monsieur  -  — ,  I  know  he  would 
teach  her  to  oblige  me,  and  — " 

"  There,  there,  mother  !  That  won't  do  at  all.  If 
you  invite  Comfort  Hadlock  to  your  home  it  must  be 
as  Lois's  friend  and  equal,  not  as  her  servant." 

The  group  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  in  silent 
astonishment.  The  sentiment  was  what  might  have 
been  expected  from  one  so  democratic  in  his  ideas, 
but  the  unwonted  sharpness  of  his  tones,  and  more 
than  all,  the  angry  flush  that  rose  to  his  face  as  he 
indignantly  repudiated  the  thought  of  offering  a 


"Of  Gentle  Blood  and  Manners"    195 

menial  position  to  the  free-born  island  maiden,  sent 
a  thrill  of  apprehensive  wonder  to  Mrs.  Humbre's 
jealous  soul.  What  if  he  had  taken  the  notion  into 
his  head  to  adopt  and  educate  this  girl,  who  had  in 
spired  them  all  with  such  a  friendly  interest?  It 
would  be  just  like  him,  such  a  quixotic  scheme,  and 
Delphine  would  be  sure  to  aid  and  abet  him  in  it. 
Such  a  project  if  formed  must  be  promptly  nipped 
in  the  bud,  for  it  would  never  do  to  have  a  possible 
rival  to  Lois  growing  up  under  the  same  roof,  and 
sharing  in  the  same  privileges  that  were  the  portion 
and  right  of  her  foster  child. 

Perhaps  her  son  divined  something  of  her  thoughts, 
for  after  a  moment's  embarrassed  silence  he  added  in 
his  ordinary  tone  of  gentle  tolerance  : 

"  Begging  your  pardon,  mother,  for  my  warmth, 
but  if  you  knew  the  Hadlocks  as  I  do,  you  would 
never  have  imagined  the  possibility  of  carrying  out 
such  a  scheme.  They  are  not  poor  people,  and  the 
Squire  is,  in  his  way,  one  of  the  proudest  men  I  ever 
knew.  There  is  plenty  of  room  at  home  for  his 
daughter,  and  if  he  chooses  he  is  amply  able  to  give 
her  as  good  an  education  as  even  Lois  will  have." 

"  Isaac  is  going  to  college,"  interrupted  Lois,  who 
knew  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  the  Hadlock  family,  "  and 
he  is  n't  half  as  bright,  and  does  n't  care  half  as  much 
about  learning  things  as  Comfort  does.  But  her 
father  says,  a  woman's  place  is  in  her  chimney 
corner." 

Miss  Delphine  laughed,  but  there  was  no  mirth  in 
her  laugh  as  she  murmured  under  her  breath: 

"  So  poor  little  Comfort  is  one  of  the  unfortunate 


196  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

ones  who  are  to  crowd  and  squeeze  themselves  into 
the  niche  that  ages  of  narrow  prejudice  have  been 
hollowing  out  for  them,  without  the  smallest  regard 
to  their  tastes  or  feelings." 

"  What  nonsense  you  talk,  Delphine,"  sighed  Mrs. 
Humbre  plaintively.  "  Now  for  my  part,  I  think 
that  the  home  and  family  circle  are  where  a  woman 
really  belongs,  and  where  she  ought  to  find  her 
highest  enjoyment." 

And  with  this  sweetly  virtuous  sentiment,  the  gentle 
dame  gathered  Flora  into  her  arms,  while  she  cast  a 
look  of  undisguised  disapproval,  not  to  say  disgust, 
at  the  stern,  sad  face  of  her  daughter,  —  that  daughter 
whose  restless  yearning  for  something  higher  and 
better  than  the  idle  life  of  a  lady  of  leisure,  were  far 
less  intelligible  to  her  than  the  dyspeptic  pug's  un 
easy  grunts  and  groans. 

Robert  said  nothing,  but  under  cover  of  the  gather 
ing  shadows,  his  hand  furtively  sought  his  sister's, 
and  its  reassuring  clasp  spoke  volumes  of  sympathy 
to  the  lonely,  dispirited  woman  whom  love  —  even 
the  love  that  first  welcomes  us  to  life  and  follows  us 
beyond  the  grave,  —  seemed  to  have  passed  by. 

Mrs.  Humbre  was  right  in  her  supposition  that 
this  was  Comfort's  first  intimate  companionship  with 
what  might  be  called  cultivated  society,  but  even  she, 
with  her  exaggerated  notions  of  the  benefits  of  such 
companionship,  would  have  been  surprised  at  the 
beauty  and  wealth  of  the  new  world  that  was  every 
day  opening  before  the  girl's  delighted  vision.  For 
the  first  time  in  her  life  she  saw  a  mother  and  sister 
treated  with  a  tender  deference,  a  protective  thought- 


"  Of  Gentle  Blood  and  Manners  "    197 

fulness  of  which  in  her  own  home  and  life  she  had 
never  dreamed.  The  thousand  and  one  little  cour 
tesies  that  Robert  Humbre  paid  as  a  matter  of  course 
to  the  ladies  of  his  family,  —  the  looking  out  for  their 
comfort  and  convenience  before  his  own ;  placing  for 
his  mother  the  easiest  chair,  and  bringing  the  needed 
covering  for  her  shoulders,  or  the  stool  for  her  feet; 
always  ready  to  put  aside  his  own  book  or  paper  to 
join  in  the  conversation  about  him,  and  never  too 
busy  or  self  absorbed  to  listen  to  his  mother's  com 
plaints,  or  Miss  Dclphine's  latest  discovery  in  regard 
to  the  habitat  of  some  rare  plant  or  animal  with  an 
unpronounceable  name. 

"  He  acts,"  thought  the  girl,  with  a  feeling  akin  to 
worship,  as  she  watched  this  man  who,  to  her  simple 
instincts,  seemed  a  God-chosen  Saul,  —  towering  as 
far  above  the  ordinary  man  morally  and  intellectually 
as  did  the  son  of  Kish  above  his  physically  inferior 
brethren,  "  he  acts  just  as  if  he  thought  his  mother 
and  sister  as  good  as  himself  if  they  are  only  women, 
and  as  if  he  loved  them  a  good  deal  better  because 
they  are  not  as  strong  and  big  as  he  is." 

"  A  gentleman !  "  the  words  so  often  heard  ac 
quired  all  at  once  a  newer  and  nobler  significance, 
and  when  Miss  Delphine  told  them  the  touching 
story  of  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  and  the  cup  of  water  put 
away  from  his  own  parched  lips  that  the  dying 
soldier  might  drink  instead,  no  doubt  she  would  have 
smiled  in  puzzled  bewilderment  if  she  could  have 
read  the  thought  passing  through  the  mind  of  her 
simple  pupil :  "  He  would  have  done  just  the  same." 

With   the    restlessness   of  a    petted   invalid,    Mrs. 


198  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Humbre  was  continually  on  the  lookout  for  some 
new  distraction  to  break  the  monotony  of  her  quiet 
seaside  life,  and  one  day  she  surprised  everybody  by 
desiring  her  hostess  to  bring  down  from  the  attic  her 
linen  wheel,  and  let  her  see  the  process  of  spinning. 
An  eminent  artist  of  Robert's  acquaintance  had 
lately  delighted  the  picture-loving  public  with  a 
beautiful  representation  of  the  Puritan  maid  Priscilla 
at  her  spinning  wheel,  and  poor  Mrs.  Humbre  was 
devoured  with  envy  at  the  praises  bestowed  upon  it. 

"  I  have  always  thought,"  she  declared,  "  that  he 
put  his  spinner  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  wheel,  and 
now  that  there  is  a  chance  to  prove  it  I  am  de 
termined  to  see  whether  the  artist  or  myself  is  in  the 
right." 

But  the  widow,  who,  in  learning  her  duties  as  land 
lady,  had  not  had  her  affections  greatly  drawn  out 
toward  the  exacting,  purse-proud  lady,  was  by  no 
means  willing  to  indulge  her  curiosity  at  the  expense 
of  her  own  hard-earned  leisure. 

"  My  wheel 's  all  out  o'  gear,"  she  grumbled  un 
graciously,  "  and  if  't  wa'n't,  I  hain't  got  no  time  to 
play  spin,  when  there  's  work  enough  ter  be  done  ter 
keep  half  a  dozen  ordinary  wimmin  on  the  clean 
jump  from  mornin'  till  night.  Mebbe  though,"  with 
a  sarcastic  emphasis  that  Tabby,  who  had  her  own 
grievances,  readily  understood,  and  returned  with  a 
spiteful  sniff,  — "  mebbe  Miss  Hadlock  '11  let  that 
gal  o'  hers  lug  old  Granny  Hedvig's  wheel  over  here, 
an'  spin  on  it  f'r  a  spell,  seein'  she  don't  seem  ter 
have  nothin'  ter  do  but  to  hang  round  my  front 
piazzer." 


"  Of  Gentle  Blood  and  Manners  "    199 

The  wheel  referred  to  had  been  mended,  and 
Comfort,  under  her  mother's  teaching  had  learned  to 
spin  a  little,  —  "enough,"  as  she  modestly  allowed, 
"  to  show  how  it  was  done." 

Mrs.  Humbre  was  all  interest  and  excitement.  Here 
was  something  new,  a  "  real  curiosity,"  she  declared, 
and  she  examined  and  admired  the  foreign  wood  of 
which  it  was  made,  and  passed  her  delicate  hand 
over  the  polished  surface,  wondering  at  its  satin 
smoothness,  in  which  she  declared  she  could  see  the 
reflection  of  the  slender  distaff  about  which  the  pale 
yellow  flax  was  deftly  wound,  — the  work  of  Granny's 
own  hands,  for  the  original  stock  had  not  been  ex 
hausted  by  Comfort's  few  lessons  in  spinning. 

"  Now,  Lois,  you  bring  me  that  copy  of  Mr.  Squire's 
picture.  And,  Comfort,  you  sit  right  down  aiid 
begin  to  spin.  I  want  to  compare  you  with  the 
picture,  and  see  for  myself." 

The  girls  gladly  obeyed,  and  Mrs.  Humbre  lean 
ing  back  luxuriously  in  her  easy-chair,  with  gold- 
rimmed  eye-glasses  carefully  adjusted,  proceeded 
with  all  the  airs  of  a  competent  connoisseur,  to  com 
pare  the  pictured  spinner  with  the  real  one. 

"  Ye-es,  it  is  the  same  side,  but  really,  —  look  here, 
Delphine,  is  n't  that  arm  in  the  picture  raised  a  trifle 
too  high?  Comfort's  is  the  proper  angle,  of  course, 
and  I  think  this  Priscilla's  is  a  bit  higher." 

Miss  Delphine  dutifully  left  her  drawing  and  took 
a  critical  survey  of  the  contrasted  arms. 

"  Perhaps  so,  —  yes,  on  the  whole,  I  should  say 
that  it  was  a  little  higher." 

"  There !  "  cried  the  lady,  highly  elated  with  her 


2OO  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

own  artistic  sharpness,  "  I  thought  so.  Now,  what 
will  Robert  say,  I  wonder,  when  I  point  out  the  blun 
der  to  him?  He  thinks  Mr.  Squire  is  such  a  wonder. 
I  really  believe  he  looks  up  to  him  as  a  second  Titian, 
when,  as  I  've  told  him  a  hundred  times,  he  's  not  a 
bit  superior  to  himself.  But  that  is  Robert's  great 
weakness  to  be  always  thinking  other  people  superior 
to  himself.  Now  I  believe  in  a  becoming  modesty  in 
everybody;"  —  and  removing  her  eye-glasses,  the 
speaker  proceeded  with  great  deliberateness  to  polish 
them  upon  a  corner  of  her  delicate  cambric  hand 
kerchief, —  "but  never  to  be  satisfied  with  one's 
own  work,  to  be  forever  reaching  and  straining  after 
something  higher,  is,  according  to  my  ideas,  perfect 
nonsense.  I  don't  see  any  call  for  it." 

Miss  Delphine  glanced  from  her  mother's  character 
less  face  to  the  two  bright,  interested  ones  bending 
over  the  flax  wheel,  —  Comfort  drawing  with  slow, 
uncertain  fingers,  the  pale,  shining  thread  from  the 
wisp  of  flax  upon  the  distaff,  and  Lois,  full  of  de 
lighted  curiosity  over  the,  to  her,  wonderful  feat. 

"  Better  strive  and  fail,  than  never  strive  at  all," 
she  said.  But  her  mother  was  settling  herself  com 
fortably  for  a  nap,  and  did  n't  even  hear  her,  which, 
all  things  considered,  was  perhaps  just  as  well. 


CHAPTER   XXII 

"THOU   POOR   BLIND   SPINNER:    WORK   IS   DONE" 

LOOK,  Comfort !  What  is  that  paper?  " 
And  Lois,  with  girlish  curiosity,  carefully 
drew  from  among  the  threads  of  flax  upon  the  almost 
exhausted  spindle,  a  sheet  of  thin  foreign-looking 
paper,  and  smoothing  out  the  creases,  tried  to  spell 
out  the  queer,  crabbed  characters : 

"It  is  dated  '  Upsala,  Aug.  2d,  1851,'  and  it's 
signed"  —  spelling  out  with  difficulty  the  signature  at 
the  bottom  of  the  page,  " '  Gustaf  Larsson,  Prof,  of 
Mathematics  in  the  University  of  Upsala,  Sweden.'  " 

"  I  know  who  that  is,"  cried  Comfort  eagerly.  "  He 
is  an  uncle  of  Franz's  mother,  and  I  remember  carry 
ing  the  letter  to  Granny,  myself,  —  father  brought  it 
home  from  Somesville,  and  mother  sent  me  over 
with  it." 

"  But  what  made  her  hide  it  in  such  a  funny 
place?"  broke  in  Lois,  delighted  to  find  something 
that  promised  to  have  a  mystery  in  it.  "  If  you 
had  n't  happened  to  use  up  the  flax  it  might  have 
stayed  there  for  years,  for  there 's  only  a  little  bit  of 
flax  between  that  and  the  spindle." 

"  I  think  I  know  why  she  wanted  to  put  it  out  of 
sight,"  admitted  Comfort  with  a  very  grave  face. 
"  You  see  the  Larsson  family  thought  themselves 
very  much  above  the  Hedvigs,  who  always  worked 


202  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

with  their  hands  instead  of  being  scholars,  and  they 
disowned  their  young  cousin  when  she  married 
Granny's  son,  and  never  even  answered  the  letter 
telling  of  her  death.  Granny  resented  this  dread 
fully,  for  she  was  proud  of  her  son  and  she  loved  his 
wife  dearly,  and  I  've  heard  her  say  more  than  once 
that  Franz  was  all  Hedvig,  and  that  she  'd  have  no 
Larsson  meddling  with  him,  and  making  him  ashamed 
of  his  own  father." 

Miss  Delphine's  attention  had  by  this  time  been 
attracted,  and  taking  the  letter  she  examined  it  with 
an  interest  and  curiosity  equal  to  that  expressed  by 
the  girls : 

"  It  is  written  in  Swedish,"  she  said  regretfully, 
"  and  I  do  n't  know  a  word  of  that  language.  We 
must  wait  till  Robert  comes,  and  get  him  to  read  it 
for  us." 

This,  Robert  was  only  too  willing  to  do,  and  the 
contents  proved  a  matter  of  surprise  as  well  as  con 
gratulation  to  the  friends  of  Franz  Hedvig.  It  was 
addressed  quaintly  to : 

"  ULRICA  HEDVIG,  wife  of  August  Hedvig,  deceased, 

L'isle  des  Monts-desert, 
State  of  Main,  County  Hancock, 

U.  S.  A." 

The  contents  of  the  letter,  while  stiffly  courteous, 
were  worded  in  such  a  way  that  it  was  easy  to  under 
stand  how  the  sensitive  family  pride  of  the  old  dame 
must  have  been  wounded  by  it,  and  why,  under  the 
influence  of  that  irritation,  she  had  chosen,  after  her 
own  whimsical  fashion,  to  put  it  out  of  the  possible 


"Thou  Poor  Blind  Spinner"        203 

sight  of  anybody  by  hiding  it  in  the  flax  that  she  was 
just  then  winding  about  her  distaff.  Whether  she 
would  ever  have  revealed  the  contents  to  Franz  if  she 
had  lived  to  see  him  again,  is  doubtful,  but  they  read 
as  follows: 

To  MISTRESS  ULRICA  HEDVIG  : 

As  the  nearest  living  kinsman  of  your  grandson,  Franz 
Hedvig,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  take  upon  myself  the  expenses 
of  his  education,  always  provided  that  he  has  inherited  some 
thing  of  the  scholarly  tastes  of  his  mother's  family.  Having 
neither  wife  nor  child  of  my  own,  I  will  take  sole  charge  of 
him,  and  God  willing,  will  make  of  him  an  honest  man.  If 
some  responsible  person  will  communicate  with  me  on  his 
behalf,  I  will  forward  the  necessary  funds  for  his  journey  to 
this  place. 

GUSTAF  LARSSON 

Prof.  Mat.  Uni.  Upsala,  Swe. 

"  Short  and  —  tart !  "  laughed  Miss  Delphine,  but 
her  brother  seemed  rather  saddened  than  amused. 

"  Poor  Granny !  Here  was  a  demand  from  one 
whose  very  name  was  hateful  to  her,  to  give  into  his 
hands  the  boy  who  was  her  one  treasure,  —  the  hope 
and  pride  and  comfort  of  her  life.  I  knew  her  so 
well  that  I  can  understand  something  of  the  pain  that 
she  must  have  suffered,  not  only  at  the  idea  of  a  last 
ing  separation  from  him — but  from  the  ever-present 
fear  that  he  would  learn  to  scorn  the  humble  stock 
from  which  he  sprang." 

Comfort  had  drawn  close  to  his  side  as  he  was 
speaking,  and  the  grateful  smile  that  brightened  her 
sweet  face  spoke  far  more  eloquently  than  words 


204  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

could  have  done  the  thanks  that  this  kindly  tribute 
to  her  old  friend  called  forth  from  her  faithful  soul. 

"  Granny  said  that  this  great-uncle  of  Franz's  was 
a  dried-up  old  book-worm,  and  if  he  could  get  his 
hands  on  the  boy,  he  would  squeeze  all  the  manhood 
out  of  him  in  that  laboratory  of  his." 

The  girl  spoke  soberly  enough,  although  her  keen 
sense  of  humor  brought  the  warm  color  into  her 
brown  cheek,  and  sent  a  crowd  of  mischievous 
dimples  playing  about  her  comely  mouth. 

"  She  has  the  making  of  a  beautiful  woman  in 
her,"  was  the  thought  that  passed  through  the  mind 
of  brother  and  sister  at  the  same  moment,  while  the 
former  remarked  aloud  with  characteristic  decision : 
"The  boy  is  alone  now  and  unprotected,  and  if  he 
chooses  to  do  so,  there  is  nothing  to  hinder  his 
acceptance  of  his  kinsman's  kindly  meant  offer. 
Don't  you  remember,  Delphine,"  with  a  critical  re- 
examination  of  the  Norse  professor's  signature,  "  that 
Mr.  Gosse  spoke  of  a  professor  at  Upsala,  where 
he  studied  when  he  was  abroad,  whose  name  was 
Larsson?  " 

Miss  Delphine  rubbed  her  forehead  reflectively. 

"The  one  who  was  such  an  odd  character,— 
and  whom  the  students  nicknamed  '  old  double 
equations  '?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  the  man. 
I  will  write  Franz,  and  send  him  the  letter,  and  when 
I  get  home  I  will  hunt  Gosse  up,  and  see  what  he 
says  about  the  boy's  probable  chances  with  the  old 
fellow." 

Miss  Delphine  nodded  her  approval  while  Lois, 


"Thou  Poor  Blind  Spinner"        205 

who  always  had  a  word  to  say,  asked  with  some 
sharpness: 

"  But  is  n't  he  going  to  be  an  engineer?  I  'm  sure 
you  said  yourself,  Cousin  Robert,  that  he  had  a 
perfect  genius  for  it.  And  now,  if  he  goes  off  to  this 
foreign  university  to  live  with  that  rusty,  crusty  old 
uncle,  how  is  he  going  to  learn  engineering,  I  should 
like  to  know?" 

Robert  laughed  indulgently,  and  made  a  feint  of 
pinching  the  small  ear  that,  in  company  with  the 
cheek  close  beside  it,  was  just  then  of  a  suspicious 
crimson. 

"  He  will  get  there  just  the  training  that  he  needs 
for  his  profession,"  he  said.  "These  Swedish  uni 
versities  turn  out  a  completely  equipped  class  of 
students,  and  if  this  uncle  is  really  able  to  carry  out 
his  promises,  the  boy's  chance  to  make  something 
of  himself  is  of  the  best." 

"  He  '11  go,"  Comfort  said,  as  she  told  her  mother 
the  wonderful  story  of  the  discovered  letter.  "  He 
don't  feel  as  Granny  did  about  his  mother's  kin,  and 
I  know  he  '11  decide  to  go." 

Her  mother  looked  at  her  in  mild  surprise. 

"How  do  you  know?"  she  asked  wonderingly. 
"  It 's  a  long  way  over  the  sea  to  that  country  that 
Granny  came  from.  I  've  heard  her  tell  many  a  time 
of  the  long,  tedious  voyage,  and  what  she  suffered 
from  sickness  and  rough  weather." 

"  Franz  won't  mind  that,  if  he  sees  the  road  to 
fortune  beyond  it." 

"  But  he  '11  have  to  leave  all  the  friends  he  's  got 
in  the  world  behind  him." 


206  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

The  gentle  woman's  voice  trembled  a  little  in  her 
sympathy  for  the  motherless  lad,  but  the  girl's  tones 
were  steady  and  hopeful. 

"  He  will  make  new  friends,  —  everybody  likes 
Franz,  he  is  so  bright  and  pleasant.  And  besides," 
—  her  fingers  sought  the  slender  chain  about  her 
neck,  toying  unconsciously  with  its  dainty  links,  as 
she  added,  with  a  shade  of  tender  regret :  "  now  that 
Granny  is  gone,  there  is  nobody  that  he  will  miss 
very  much." 

The  short  bright  summer  wore  away  only  too  fast, 
and  with  the  first  hint  of  frost  Mrs.  Humbre  declared 
herself  pining  for  the  comforts  and  privileges  of 
home,  insisting,  too,  that  it  was  high  time  for  Lois  to 
return  to  her  studies,  and  more  than  hinting  that  the 
girl  had  had  quite  enough  of  the  rustic  companion 
ship  of  which  she  had  been  so  unaccountably  fond. 
So  to  the  regret  of  all  but  herself,  the  lady  and  her 
family  took  their  departure,  leaving  the  widow  Scrip 
ture  a  richer  woman,  not  only  in  money,  but  in  the 
experience  that  to  the  keeper  of  summer  boarders 
may  not  be  estimated  in  dollars  and  cents.  To 
Comfort  Hadlock  the  departing  visitors  left  a  legacy 
of  awakened  ambitions  and  scarce  comprehended 
longings  that  might,  as  time  would  show,  prove 
either  a  blessing  or  a  bane. 

Immediately  upon  his  return  home,  Mr.  Humbre 
hunted  up  his  old  acquaintance,  the  Swedish  student, 
and  found  as  he  had  suspected,  that  the  eccentric 
professor  and  Franz  Hedvig's  kinsman  were  one  and 
the  same.  Acting  upon  this  knowledge,  he  wrote 


"Thou  Poor  Blind  Spinner"        207 

him,  at  the  boy's  request,  giving  the  facts  in  regard 
to  his  character  and  present  circumstances,  with  the 
addition  of  a  warm  personal  recommendation  of  the 
lad  to  the  kindness  and  assistance  which  he  so  richly 
deserved.  In  due  time  the  promised  funds  were  re 
ceived,  with  a  letter  that,  in  spite  of  its  prim  formality, 
showed  an  awakened  interest  in  the  youth  and  set  to 
rest  whatever  doubts  his  kind  friend  might  have  felt 
in  regard  to  his  welcome  in  the  new  home. 

Comfort  judged  rightly  when  she  predicted  that 
the  parting  from  his  old  friends  and  neighbors  would 
not  be  a  lasting  sorrow  to  Franz's  sanguine,  sunny 
nature.  Not  that  he  was  cold  or  unfeeling,  but  he 
was  young  and  light  hearted ;  and  the  future  stretch 
ing  out  so  temptingly  before  him  dazzled  him  with 
the  rainbow  hues  of  happy  anticipation,  while  the 
deeper  springs  of  his  emotional  nature  remained 
as  yet  untouched  by  the  fingers  that  would  in 
time  call  from  them  the  sweetest  strains  of  joy 
or  the  minor  notes  of  disappointment  and  sorrow. 
To  Comfort  he  wrote  with  boyish  frankness  of 
his  plans  and  hopes,  winding  up  with  a  declara 
tion  of  never-dying  friendship  for  the  old  playmate 
whose  childish  devotion  had  made  comfortable  the 
last  days  of  the  one  he  had  loved  best  in  the 
world. 

"  For  dear  old  Granny's  sake,"  he  wrote,  "  I  shall 
always  be  your  friend,  even  if  we  never  see  each 
other  again.  And  I  never  shall  forget  either  that, 
if  it  had  n't  been  for  you,  I  might  never  have  known 
of  the  letter  that  has  brought  such  good  fortune  to 
me.  It  was  you  who  found  the  letter,  or  I  might 


208  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

never  have  seen  it  at  all,  and  all  this  splendid 
chance  of  an  education  would  have  been  lost  to  me." 

Comfort's  heart  throbbed  with  pleasure  as  she  read 
the  unconsciously  significant  words,  and  she  pressed 
the  little  silver  cross  more  closely  to  her  bosom,  with 
a  thrill  of  glad  satisfaction  that  she  had  indeed  earned 
the  right  to  wear  it  honestly  and  without  reproach. 

Granny's  prediction,  bewildering  and  scarce  compre 
hended  at  the  time,  had,  as  the  months  crept  by> 
grown  somehow  peculiarly  distasteful  to  her  unfold 
ing  womanly  instincts.  Franz  was  dear,  —  as  dear 
as  an  own  brother  could  have  been,  —  and  had  it  not 
been  for  that  premature  unfolding  of  his  grand 
mother's  scheme  she  would  never  have  troubled  to 
analyze  her  feelings  toward  him  at  all,  but  have 
accepted  his  friendly  confidence  in  just  the  same 
spirit  in  which  it  was  offered. 

To  her  loyal,  sincere  nature  it  had  been  a  real 
pain,  to  feel  that  at  heart  she  could  not  bring  her 
self  to  look  upon  her  boyish  playmate  with  the 
reverent  affection  that  the  simple  old  dame  seemed 
to  think  a  natural  consequence  of  their  boy  and  girl 
friendship.  Then,  too,  she  had  by  constant  associa 
tion  with  the  superstitious  daleswoman  come  to 
have  a  childish  faith  in  the  mystic  runes  as  in  some 
way  the  arbiters  of  her  own  destiny,  and  that  Franz 
could  only  reach  the  grand  future  in  store  for  him 
through  her  means,  she  never  thought  of  doubting. 
And  now  his  own  words  had  unwittingly  solved  the 
vexing  problem,  and  removed  a  weight  from  her 
heart  and  conscience  that  she  had  so  long  borne 
unshared  and  in  silence.  It  was  as  he  had  said, 


"Thou  Poor  Blind  Spinner"        209 

her  hand  that  had  brought  the  fateful  letter  to 
light,  and  the  feeling  of  helpless  responsibility  that 
had  rested  so  heavily  upon  her  young  shoulders 
was  changed  to  one  of  cheerful  complacency  and 
thankfulness  that  the  task  assigned  her  by  an  in 
flexible  Fate  had  been  so  early  and  happily  accom 
plished. 

Letters  came  occasionally  from  Lois  to  cheer  the 
long,  lonesome  winter,  nor  were  these  the  only  token 
of  her  summer  friends'  kind  remembrance.  At  Christ 
mas  came  a  box  from  Miss  Delphine  of  carefully 
selected  books,  —  a  small  library  in  themselves, — 
every  volume  having  been  carefully  chosen  with 
reference  to  her  special  needs  and  associations. 
Lois  had  added  a  few  volumes  of  poems  and  some 
of  Scott's  novels,  while  away  down  in  the  bottom 
of  the  box  was  a  beautifully  illustrated  copy  of 
Shakespeare,  with  annotations  in  pencil  upon  almost 
every  page,  showing  that  it  was  a  well-read  and  evi 
dently  favorite  text-book  of  the  donor.  Upon  the 
blank  leaf  were  the  words,  written  in  the  same  pe 
culiar  hand,  that  had  traced  the  marginal  notes: 

"  A  thorough  knowledge  of  Shakespeare  is  an  education  in 
itself,  and  no  one  familiar  with  its  beauties  can  be  called 
illiterate. 

Your  friend, 

ROBERT  HUMBRE." 

"  How  kind  in  him  to  take  so  much  trouble !  "  Mrs. 
Hadlock  exclaimed  again  and  again,  as,  with  the 
hectic  flush  deepening  upon  her  thin  cheeks,  and 
her  hands  trembling  with  nervous  delight,  she  turned 


2io  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

over  page  after  page  of  the  beautiful  volume,  with 
the  eager  enjoyment  of  one  tasting  for  the  first  time 
a  draught  for  which  he  has  all  his  life  longed  and 
thirsted  in  vain. 

Very  faithfully  and  thoroughly  Comfort  studied 
the  books  that  Miss  Delphine's  thoughtfulness  had 
provided,  and  wider  and  wider  grew  her  mental  hori 
zon  from  day  to  day.  But  dearer,  closer  to  her  heart 
than  all  else  were  the  wonderful  creations  of  the  great 
dramatist,  read  by  the  bedside  of  her  dying  mother 
during  many  a  sad  midnight  vigil,  when  the  hacking 
cough  would  not  let  the  poor  invalid  sleep,  and  noth 
ing  could  distract  her  mind  and  soothe  her  tired 
nerves  like  a  reading  from  that  marvellous  book  that 
had,  from  the  first,  proved  such  a  delight  to  her. 
Could  Robert  Humbre,  in  his  busy,  over-full  life, 
have  heard  the  words  of  grateful  praise  bestowed 
upon  him  for  that  one  simple,  already  half-forgotten 
act  of  considerate  kindness,  that  had  proved  such  a 
solace  to  those  two  sad  hearts  in  the  old  farmhouse 
by  the  sea,  it  is  probable  that  he  would  have  been 
quite  as  much  surprised  as  touched  at  the  unlooked- 
for  tribute.  He  could  not  know  how,  even  at  the 
last,  his  gift  soothed  and  quieted  the  feverish  unrest 
of  the  dying  woman,  or  how,  on  a  certain  never-to-be- 
forgotten  night  in  the  early  spring,  when  all  nature 
was  waking  to  new  life  and  vigor,  the  faithful  watcher 
by  her  bed,  listening  by  turns  to  the  faintly  falling 
breath  and  the  low,  far-off  murmur  of  the  sea,  whis 
pering  its  sad  prophecies  to  the  still  night  air,  heard 
again  the  familiar  request. 

"  I  can't  sleep,  dear,  with  the  sound  of  the  tide  in 


"Thou  Poor  Blind  Spinner"        21 1' 

my  ears  all  the  time.  Read  me  again  about  that 
island  where  the  old  magician  and  his  daughter 
lived,  and  had  spirits  to  wait  upon  them." 

And  the  girl  read,  in  her  soft,  soothing  voice,  the 
lines  that  she  had  gone  over  so  often  that  she  needed 
no  help  from  the  dim  candle  to  render  them  correctly : 

"The  isle  is  full  of  noises, 

Sounds  and  sweet  airs,  that  give  delight,  and  hurt  not. 
Sometimes  a  thousand  twanging  instruments 
Will  hum  about  mine  ears,  and  sometimes  voices, 
That,  if  I  then  had  waked,  after  long  sleep, 
Will  make  me  sleep  again;  and  then  in  dreaming, 
The  clouds  methought,  would  open,  and  show  riches 
Ready  to  drop  upon  me  ;  that,  when  I  waked 
I  cry'd  to  dream  again. 

The  sick  woman  smiled,  and  her  thin,  nerveless 
hand  was  laid  tenderly  upon  her  child's  bowed  head 
as  she  whispered  dreamily: 

"  That  seems  like  our  own  island,  Comfort.  I  lay 
here  day  after  day,  and  listen  to  all  the  pleasant 
sounds  that  the  spring  brings  us,  and  when  the 
window  is  open  I  can  smell  the  salt  spray,  and 
hear  it  lap  —  lap  on  the  rocks  just  as  it  has  done 
ever  since  I  can  remember,  and  just  as  it  will  go  on 
doing  after  I  am  gone,  and  I  shut  my  eyes  and  won 
der  if  Heaven  itself  can  really  be  more  beautiful  and 
sweeter." 

Comfort's  tears  were  dropping  silently  upon  the  pil 
low  where  she  had  laid  her  head  close,  close  to  that 
dear  one,  as  if  her  own  warm,  strong-breathed  presence 
could  keep  at  bay  the  chill  shadow  that  was  silently 
creeping  over  the  pale,  sweet  face. 


212  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"I  wouldn't  ask  for  a  better  Heaven,"  sighed  the 
dying  woman,  "  if  only,  —  only  — 

Ah,  that  "  if  only  "  ever  has  and  ever  will  mar  the 
beauty  of  every  earthly  Paradise,  —  the  sorrow,  the 
pain,  the  disappointments,  the  sickness,  and  the  death 
that  dog  our  footsteps  forever  through  this  beautiful 
world  that  even  its  Divine  Creator  called  "  good." 
The  Heaven  of  negatives  that  inspiration  pictures  for 
us  is  surely  the  best  adapted  to  the  comprehension  of 
the  dwellers  upon  this  earth  of  change  and  sorrow. 

"  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any 
more,  neither  shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any 
heat,  —  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes." 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

"  MONEY  IS   A   GOOD   SOLDIER,   SIR,   AND   WILL   ON  " 

A  CITY  by  the  sea,  —  a  fair,  bright,  beautiful  city, 
whose  foundations  are  of  jasper,  of  chalcedony, 
and  of  amethyst,  and  within  whose  rock-ribbed  cham 
bers  the  great  pulses  of  the  ocean  beat  ceaselessly  to 
day,  even  as  they  beat  when  this  gray  old  earth  was 
young,  and  God's  voice  sounded  through  the  terrible 
stillness  :  "  Let  the  waters  be  gathered  together  in  one 
place,  and  let  the  dry  land  appear."  A  city  to  be 
proud  of,  with  its  grand  hotels,  its  stately  churches, 
and  its  beautiful,  picturesque  summer  cottages  where 
wealth  and  fashion  wedded  to  taste  and  leisure,  have 
lavished  what  would  have  seemed  a  princely  fortune 
to  the  simple  island  folk  a  few  years  previous  to 
the  date  at  which  this  chapter  opens.  The  natural 
beauties  and  advantages  of  the  island  had  been  opened 
to  the  world  by  the  artists,  who  first  discovered  and 
transferred  those  beauties  to  canvas,  and  shortly 
after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  when  business  was 
good  and  the  spirit  of  speculation  ran  high,  shrewd 
men,  wise  in  the  signs  of  the  times,  began  to  find  land 
upon  the  Desert  Island  a  profitable  investment,  and 
hotels  and  cottages  sprang  up  as  by  magic  to  meet 
the  ever-increasing  demand  for  seasonable  accommo 
dations. 


214  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

The  advance  guard  of  this  great  army  of  pleasure 
seekers,  charmed  by  the  unrivalled  grandeur  and 
beauty  of  the  scenery,  the  sea  air  and  boating,  came 
to  rest  and  recuperate  from  the  cares  of  business  or 
the  wearying  demands  of  society,  and  few  returned 
home  disappointed  or  unrefreshed.  But  as  the  years 
slipped  by  a  different  class  of  visitors  made  their  ap 
pearance,  and  the  plain-living  islanders  were  bewil 
dered  with  the  glare  and  glitter  of  this,  their  first 
glimpse  of  fashionable  dissipation,  —  a  glitter  as  in 
appropriate  in  this  one  of  Nature's  pet  haunts  as  if 
one  had  decked  the  wild-roses  with  pink  satin  bows, 
and  put  gold-bowed  eye-glasses  upon  the  red  squirrels 
that  frisked  and  chattered  in  every  tree  top.  Hereto 
fore,  the  strangers  had  in  a  way  affiliated  with  the  na 
tives,  paying  them  fairly  for  their  hospitality,  laughing 
good  naturedly  at  their  rustic  solecisms,  and  bearing 
with  equal  good  humor  the  salty  flavored  jests  that, 
as  unseasoned  landsmen,  they  were  not  seldom  made 
the  subject  of. 

A  fair  degree  of  prosperity  smiled  upon  the  rocky 
isle,  and  life,  while  growing  broader  and  fuller  with 
every  passing  year,  had  lost  little  of  its  honest  sim 
plicity  and  self-respect  by  this  unlooked-for  contact 
with  the  outer  world.  But  with  the  influx  of  fashion 
able  travel  all  this  was  changed.  When  the  island 
folk,  like  the  Romans  of  the  empire,  became  pos 
sessed  with  the  idea  that  money  is  the  great  good, 
and  that  the  chief  aim  of  man  is  or  should  be  the 
getting  of  it,  the  whole  course  of  thought  and  feeling 
naturally  changed  with  it.  The  sturdy  independence 
that  would  once  have  scorned  an  unearned  penny, 


"Money  is  a  Good  Soldier"         215 

now,  under  the  demoralizing  influence  of  an  open- 
handed,  often  wasteful  snobbishness,  learned  to  swal 
low  the  contemptuous  sneers  and  jibes  of  the  stranger 
within  its  gates  for  the  privilege  of  pocketing  his 
money;  while  simple  souls  who  had  been  content 
with  a  modest  competence,  learned  to  be  heartily 
ashamed  of  themselves  and  their  unambitious  past, 
and  to  cherish  a  vague  discontent  that  brought  them 
neither  rest  nor  happiness. 

This  much  of  the  island  as  a  whole,  — now  let  us 
see  what  changes  the  years  have  in  passing  wrought 
in  the  fortunes  of  our  friends  in  the  farmhouse  by  the 
sea. 

That  Squire  Hadlock  should  after  the  death  of  his 
wife  have  fallen  into  a  weak  and  premature  old  age 
was  as  great  a  cause  of  wonder  to  himself  as  to  his 
neighbors  and  his  family.  Idle  and  listless,  he 
neglected  the  work  that  had  for  years  filled  his  life 
full  of  its  restless  hum  and  bustle,  and  spent  his  days 
sitting  silent  and  moody  in  the  chimney  corner,  or 
wandering  from  room  to  room  of  the  lonely  house, 
peering  expectantly  into  each,  and  then  turning 
away  with  a  disappointed  sigh,  and  the  muttered  "  I 
would  n't  'a'  thought  I  'd  missed  'er  so."  At  the 
beginning  of  the  war  Isaac  enlisted  in  the  army,  and 
met  his  fate  at  Shiloh,  but  even  the  news  of  his  death 
seemed  to  have  little  effect  in  rousing  the  old  man 
from  his  gloomy  abstraction.  "  She  'd  'a'  felt  it,"  was 
all  the  comment  that  he  made,  although  all  through 
that  day  and  the  next  he  visited  her  room  oftener 
than  usual,  patting  with  his  tremulous  hands  the  un- 
pressed  pillow  and  coverlid,  as  if  through  his  failing 


2 1 6  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

brain  some  dim  idea  of  a  needed  consolation  that  he 
had  no  power  to  bestow,  was  trying  to  make  itself 
understood. 

In  business  matters  he  was  rational  enough,  and 
readily  acceded  to  Jotham's  suggestion  that  he 
should  make  a  will,  disposing  of  his  property  before 
his  mind  should  be  so  shattered  that  he  was  unable  to 
do  so  legally.  The  document  was  drawn  up,  signed 
and  witnessed  in  due  form,  with  only  one  dissenting 
voice  and  that  was  good  Doctor  Peabody,  who  had 
been  called  in  as  a  witness,  and  who  now  took  it  upon 
himself,  as  Comfort's  first  friend  and  well  wisher  in 
this  world,  to  put  in  a  plea  for  the  girl,  who  had 
been  left  entirely  dependent  upon  the  bounty  of  her 
brother  for  even  a  roof  to  shelter  her. 

"  Do  you  realize,  Squire,  that  you  've  left  Comfort 
about  the  same  as  homeless  and  penniless  by  this 
will?" 

The  old  man  tapped  impatiently  the  arm  of  his 
easy-chair. 

"  I  don't  believe  in  leavin'  money  to  girls.  They 
don't  know  what  to  do  with  it  if  they  have  it,  and 
they  either  throw  it  away  themselves,  or  let  some 
body  else  throw  it  away  for  'em.  Jotham  '11  see  that 
she  don't  suffer,  and  then,  most  likely,  she'll  get 
married,  —  most  girls  do." 

"  But  if  she  don't?"  persisted  the  little  doctor  with 
a  heightened  color.  "  Marriage  is  n't  a  certainty,  by 
any  means.  And  with  a  handsome  property  like 
yours,  it 's  only  fair  that  she  should  have  her  share, 
married  or  not." 

"  That 's  so,"  put  in  the  other  witness.     "  Where 


"Money  is  a  Good  Soldier"         217 

there  's  only  these  two,  Jotham  and  Comfort, 
they  ought  to  share  alike,  I  think.  I  don't  be 
lieve  in  makin'  fish  o'  one  child  and  flesh  of  an 
other." 

A  little  flush  crept  to  the  old  man's  sallow  cheek, 
—  faint  but  significant  as  the  glow  of  an  unquenched 
coal  beneath  a  veil  of  dead,  gray  ashes. 

"  Well,  mebbe  you  're  right,"  he  muttered  uneasily. 
"  You "  (to  the  lawyer)  "  may  put  a  coddycil  into 
that  will  givin'  my  darter  Comfort  this  house  f'r  her 
own  as  long  as  she  lives  and  wants  ter  occupy  it.  If 
she  dies  intestate  it  goes  to  Jotham  or  his  heirs. 
Moreover,  I  give  and  bequeath  to  her,  and  to  her 
heirs  and  assigns  f'rever,  that  back  pastur'  down  by 
the  shore  where  the  old  granite  quarry  is,  with  the 
proviso  that  she  ain't  never  to  sell  or  give  it  away 
without  the  permission  of  her  brother,  Jotham  Had- 
lock.  Two  disapp'intments  ought  to  bring  good 
luck  to  somebody." 

The  shrill  cackle  that  accompanied  the  last  sen 
tence  emphasized  the  joke  that  his  old  neighbors, 
who  had  known  all  about  his  disappointed  hopes  in 
both  directions,  fully  comprehended ;  and  as  they 
took  their  leave,  it  was  with  the  sad  consciousness 
that  their  intercession  in  behalf  of  the  slighted  girl 
had  gained  nothing  for  her,  after  all,  but  a  barren, 
rocky  waste  of  pasture  land,  —  picturesque,  to  be 
sure,  with  its  shelving  ledges  dipping  their  mossy 
feet  almost  into  the  surf,  while  a  background  of 
dusky  pines  and  cedars,  with  tangled  thickets  of 
blackberry  and  raspberry,  made  a  picture  that  an 
artist  would  have  dwelt  upon  with  pleasure,  but  for 


2 1 8  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

all  practical  purposes  it  was  as  useless  as  a  waste  of 
barren  sand  would  have  been. 

If  the  girl  knew  of  this  cruelly  unjust  division  of 
the  property,  it  made  no  difference  in  her  treat 
ment  of  the  infirm,  dependent  old  man.  Perhaps  his 
unfeigned  sorrow  for  her,  whose  loss  had  so  recently 
shadowed  her  own  young  life  with  a  grief  that  had 
seemed  for  the  time  to  dry  up  all  the  springs  of  hope 
and  gladness  in  her  heart,  touched  her  with  a  tender 
sympathy  that  not  all  his  unfatherly  indifference  and 
neglect  had  the  power  to  chill  or  discourage.  "  He 
must,"  she  reasoned,  "  have  really  loved  her,  in  spite 
of  all  his  harsh,  domineering  ways,  or  he  would  not 
have  been  so  completely  broken  down  by  her  death." 
With  this  thought  ever  uppermost,  she  bore  patiently 
with  all  his  caprices,  and  cheerfully  sacrificed  health, 
strength,  and  even  the  rare  leisure  that  had  been  so 
precious  to  her,  to  his  convenience  and  comfort. 

It  could  not  be  expected  that  she  should  mourn 
for  him  at  his  death  as  she  had  mourned  for  the  ten 
der,  ever-loving  mother  who  had  gone  before,  and 
yet,  when  she  returned  from  her  father's  grave  and 
sat  down  alone  in  the  silent,  solitary  old  farmhouse, 
it  seemed  to  her  that,  of  all  creatures  on  the  face 
of  God's  earth  she  was  the  most  desolate.  Even 
Jotham's  ungracious  presence  would  have  been  a 
comfort,  —  a  companionship  of  kin,  if  not  of  heart 
and  soul,  —  but  even  that  poor  solace  was  denied 
her,  for  Jotham  was  no  longer  an  inmate  of  his 
father's  house.  Several  months  previous  to  his 
father's  death  he  had  married  Tabby  Scripture,  and 
the  young  couple  had  taken  up  their  abode  in  the 


"Money  is  a  Good  Soldier"         219 

now  spacious  and  modernized  dwelling  that  some 
merrily  inclined  summer  boarder  had  christened 
"The  Widow's  Mite."  Not  that  the  widow  had  in 
the  least  relaxed  her  hold  upon  the  guiding  rein,  but 
as  she  said  in  reference  to  the  projected  marriage,  "  a 
man  was  handy  'round  the  house  to  chore,  and  drum 
up  slack-payin'  boarders."  In  fact  the  match  had 
proved  a  very  good  one  in  more  ways  than  one,  and 
more  satisfactory  to  all  parties  concerned  than  might 
have  been  anticipated  by  those  who  knew  them  best. 
Jotham's  grumpiness  and  ill-temper  troubled  nobody 
so  long  as  he  attended  to  his  own  part  of  the  work, 
while  his  domineering  tendencies  were  kept  in  check 
by  his  wife  and  mother-in-law,  who  fully  appreciated 
their  position  as  the  real  proprietors  of  the  establish 
ment,  and  never  hesitated  from  any  tenderness  or 
delicacy  of  feeling  to  remind  him  of  the  fact  when 
ever  he  showed  signs  of  rebelling  against  the  domi 
nant  female  element. 

Above  all  things,  better  even  than  his  own  way, 
the  young  man  loved  money  and  the  respect  and  im 
portance  that  money  brings  its  possessor,  and  as  he 
grew  older  and  wiser  in  the  ways  of  the  world,  he 
learned  to  assume  a  certain  polish  of  manner,  and  a 
heartiness  that  might  easily  pass  for  genuine  good- 
fellowship  and  kindliness.  It  was  not  long  before  the 
newspaper  correspondents  began  to  speak  of  him  in 
their  letters  as  the  "  genial  and  accommodating  host 

of  the  House,"    and   even   his    old   neighbors, 

while  admitting  that  he  was  "  tight-fisted  and  sharp 
at  a  bargain,"  allowed  that  no  man  on  the  island  was 
doing  more  for  its  advancement  and  prosperity  than 


22O  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

he.  It  was  such  a  convenience  to  have  a  ready  mar 
ket  for  all  their  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  if  the 
prosperous,  well-fed  landlord  haggled  over  every 
quart  of  strawberries,  and  had  a  nose  that  could  tell 
at  a  sniff  just  how  long  to  a  minute  a  fish  had  been 
out  of  its  native  element,  he  paid  for  everything 
down  in  good  hard  cash,  and  nobody  could  accuse 
him  of  cheating  a  soul  out  of  his  dues. 

Success  wins  confidence  at  home  as  well  as 
abroad,  and  when,  after  a  few  years  of  married  life, 
her  son-in-law  proposed  to  the  widow  to  sell  her 
house  and  invest  the  proceeds  in  a  big  hotel,  —  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  build  at  Bar  Harbor,  —  she  was 
not  inclined  to  scorn  the  idea  as  she  would  once 
have  done,  although  too  cautious  to  close  with  his 
proposal  without  looking  the  ground  all  over,  inch 
by  inch. 

"  You  say  the  tide  o'  travel  is  to'ards  Bar  Har 
bor?  Well,  mebbe  'tis,  I  don't  say  't ain't,  but  we've 
got  to  remember  that  Bar  Harbor  ain't  all  the  world. 
There  's  Sou'west  Harbor  an'  Nor'east  Harbor,  both 
on  'em  places  that  ain't  ter  be  grinned  at  by  them 
that  ain't  got  no  teeth." 

"  That 's  a  fact,  —  that 's  a  fact !  " 

Jotham  had  trained  himself  so  long  and  thor 
oughly  in  this  form  of  polite  concession  that  it 
slipped  as  naturally  from  his  tongue  in  reply  to  a 
theological  problem  as  to  a  pretended  catch  of  fish 
by  a  summer  boarder  who  did  n't  know  a  trout  from 
a  catfish. 

"  But  it 's  the  folks  with  the  money  that  are  stuck 
on  Bar  Harbor,  and  that 's  what 's  going  to  make  it 


"Money  is  a  Good  Soldier"         221 

the  hub  o' the  island.  They've  begun  building  cot 
tages,  an'  —  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  though  I 
should  n't  want  it  spoke  of  outside,  there 's  been 
parties  here  lately  from  Boston  an'  New  York  buyin' 
up  buildin1  lots,  to  put  up  cottages  to  rent.  That 
means  business,  an'  them  that 's  first  in  the  field  gets 
the  best  cuts." 

The  widow's  face  flushed  crimson  with  excitement. 

"  Sho,  now !  why  how  you  talk !  Parties  from 
Boston  an'  New  York  ?  "  she  repeated,  half  dazed 
with  the  magnitude  of  the  idea.  "  Why,  Jotham,  next 
thing  we  know  they  '11  be  crowdin'  us  off  into  the  sea 
so 's  ter  get  our  places.  New  York  parties  !  Well, 
well,  I  never !  " 

Jotham  laughed. 

"  We  've  got  ter  hang  on  tooth  an'  nail  'f  we  don't 
want  ter  be  shoved  one  side,"  he  said,  evidently  well 
pleased  with  the  impression  that  he  had  made. 
"  Now  I  've  been  talkin'  with  some  of  these  specula- 
ters,  an'  they  've  made  me  a  good  offer  for  that  tim 
ber  land  of  mine  on  the  west  side.  There  's  a  good 
outlook  to'ards  the  sea,  an'  it 's  uneven  an'  rocky 
enough  in  all  conscience  ter  suit  anybody.  What 
I  get  f'r  that  with  the  ready  money  that  I  Ve  got  on 
hand  and  what  you  can  get  f  r  this  place,  I  reckon  I 
can  put  up  a  smashin'  tavern, — a  'hotel'  I  s'pose 
we  shall  have  ter  call  it,  —  that  '11  astonish  the 
natives.  An'  you  'd  better  believe,"  he  added,  with 
a  shrewd  twinkle  in  his  hard  eyes,  "  that  I  '11  charge 
smashin'  rates,  too.  There  's  lots  o'  folks  that  '11  will- 
in'ly  pay  five  dollars  f'r  a  dinner  of  wilted  vegetables 
an'  stale  fish,  that  'd  turn  up  their  noses  at  the  same 


222  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

things  all  fresh  an'  sweet  if  they  was  charged  only 
fifty  cents  fr  the  meal." 

The  widow  looked  at  her  son-in-law  in  open- 
mouthed  admiration.  "  Well,  well !  You  do  beat  all 
f  r  spellin'  out  things,"  she  said.  "  Why,  when  you 
an'  Tabby  set  out  that  I  should  raise  my  board  from 
one  to  two  dollars  a  day,  I  was  actually  skairt,  for  I 
was  afraid  my  rooms  'd  stand  empty  all  summer." 

"  But  they  was  all  full,  an'  you  had  to  turn  away 
crowds,"  reminded  Jotham  with  a  complacent  grin. 
"  Now  I  mean  ter  put  on  lots  o'  style,  —  act  when  I 
give  a  man  a  room  as  if  I  was  turnin'  myself  out  o' 
house  an'  home  fr  his  accommodation,  an'  takin'  his 
five  dollars  a  day  with  an  air  as  if  I  was  doin'  him  the 
greatest  favor  in  the  world.  That 's  the  kind  o' 
thing  folks  pay  well  and  willin'ly  for,  an'  when  they 
come  next  year  they  '11  bring  all  their  friends  with 
'em." 

And  so  the  widow  was  persuaded,  and  the  hotel 
was  built,  —  a  wonder  to  the  simple  townsfolk,  who 
flocked  in  crowds  to  admire  its  size  and  beauty,  and 
to  speculate  in  private  whether  in  future  years  it 
would  be  known  as  "  Hadlock's  Folly,"  or  honored 
as  the  pioneer  of  a  long  line  of  stately  spacious  edi 
fices  that  should  bring  honor  and  prosperity  to  the 
as  yet  only  half-awakened  hamlet. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


"A   LITTLE   MORE  THAN   KIN,   AND   LESS 
THAN   KIND  " 


,,  Mandy?" 
"Well,  Comfort?" 
Democracy  pure  and  simple,  —  for  Mandy  never 
dreamed  that  the  relations  between  herself  and  the 
young  mistress  of  the  farmhouse  demanded  that  tacit 
acknowledgment  of  inferiority  on  her  part  that  a 
prefix  would  have  been,  according  to  her  notions. 
Had  n't  she  known  Comfort  Hadlock  all  her  life,  and 
was  she  going  to  begin  to  "Miss"  her  at  this  late 
day?  Not  she.  But  on  the  other  hand,  did  n't  Com 
fort,  after  her  poor  old  grandfather's  death  had  left 
her  homeless  and  friendless,  offer  her  a  home  under 
her  own  roof,  and  had  n't  she  been  the  kindest  and 
most  patient  of  teachers,  —  training  her  into  her  own 
neat,  dainty  household  ways,  and  smoothing  down 
her  half-tamed  nature  until  few  would  have  recog 
nized  in  the  modest,  neat-handed  Phyllis  of  the  Had 
lock  farmhouse,  the  neglected,  half-savage  little  maid 
of  the  old  fisherman's  cabin?  And  Mandy  never  for 
an  instant  forgot  or  belittled  her  obligations  to  the 
gentle  girl,  and  even  while  bravely  maintaining  her 
own  right  to  social  equality,  would  willingly  have  laid 
down  her  life,  if  need  be,  to  save  that  of  the  only 
being  in  the  world  who,  besides  her  dead  grandfather, 
she  had  ever  really  loved. 


224  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

This  morning  it  was  evident  that  something  of 
unusual  importance  was  being  debated  in  the  little 
family  conclave,  and  Mandy's  childish  face  wore  a 
look  of  bashful  indecision  as  her  companion  said 
encouragingly: 

"  There  's  nothing  like  trying,  and  if  you  don't  suc 
ceed  you  've  nothing  to  lose.  Jotham's  head  waiter 
has  promised  to  see  that  the  cards  and  bouquets 
are  placed  by  the  plates  of  the  right  people,  and  all 
you  '11  have  to  do  is  to  take  the  flowers  over  just 
before  dinner,  and  the  next  morning  go  and  get  any 
orders  that  may  be  left  for  you.  I  really  believe 
you  '11  make  quite  a  nice  little  sum  of  it  if  you  '11  only 
try." 

Mandy  wrinkled  her  forehead  reflectively. 

"  But  s'pos  'n'  they  should  think  a  quarter  of  a 
dollar  too  high?  It  does  seem  a  pretty  steep  price 
f 'r  flowers  that  are  growed  so  easy  as  sweet  peas,  and 
lady's  delights,  and  sweet  clover.  Now,  if  I  had 
some  sturtions  and  Chiny  oysters,  — 

"  Nasturtiums  and  China  asters,"  gently  corrected 
Comfort. 

"  Yes,  if  I  had  something  of  that  kind  I  should 
have  more  of  a  face  to  charge  for  'em,  but  I  'm 
afraid,  —  " 

"  That  they  are  so  common  with  us  is  no  proof 
that  they  are  not  beautiful  to  city  folks.  Why,  I  've 
read  that  our  common  mullein  is  kept  in  conserva 
tories  in  England,  where  they  call  it  the  '  American 
Velvet'  plant;  and  last  summer  all  the  ladies  here 
wore  yellow-weed  and  buttercups,  and  even  white- 
weed  in  their  belts  and  bosoms  on  all  occasions. 


"A  Little  More  Than  Kin"        225 

Tabby  said  that  goldenrod  and  field  daisies,  as  they 
called  them,  were  all  the  fashion,  and  some  even  car 
ried  home  roots  of  them  for  their  private  conserva 
tories.  You  see  they  have  all  the  rare,  cultivated 
flowers  in  plenty  at  home,  but  Mount  Desert  flowers 
are  as  great  a  rarity  as  Mount  Desert  air  and 
scenery." 

"  They  must  be  hard  up,"  grumbled  Mandy,  only 
half  convinced  even  now.  But  she  went  to  work  for 
all  that,  to  cull  the  blossoms  in  her  modest  garden 
beds,  while  Comfort  occupied  herself  in  writing  in 
her  pretty,  delicate  hand,  upon  a  score  or  more  of 
neat  cards,  with  a  bit  of  bright  ribbon  in  the  corner 
of  each: 

"  Orders  for  corsage  and  buttonhole  bouquets  can 
be  left  with  the  clerk  of  the  hotel." 

"  I  think  'twas  awful  clever  in  Mr.  Chase  to  take 
charge  of  an  order-book  for  us,"  remarked  Mandy, 
who,  having  a  natural  gift  for  arranging  flowers,  was 
busily  at  work  making  up  the  tiny  nosegays  that 
were  to  serve  as  an  advertisement  of  her  dainty 
wares.  "  But  I  'm  dreadfully  afraid  the  big  bugs  '11 
make  fun  of  my  poor  little  posies,  and  think  they 
ain't  worth  the  buyin'." 

"  '  Afraid  never  climbed  the  mountain,' " 

quoted  Comfort,  with  a  reassuring  smile.  "  I  remem 
ber,  long  ago,  —  that  summer  when  Mrs.  Humbre 
and  her  family  were  here,  —  how  Miss  Delphine 
loved  the  sweet  peas  and  southernwood  that  the 
Widow  Scripture  always  had  in  her  garden.  Even 
Mrs.  Humbre,  who  didn't  care  at  all  for  simple 


226  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

things,  used  to  wear  bachelor's-buttons  in  her  belt, 
because  she  said  they  were  the  favorite  flower  of  the 
German  emperor,  and  had  a  kind  of  aristocratic 
look." 

Mandy  tied  together  a  spray  of  pink  and  white 
peas,  a  bit  of  forget-me-not,  and  blue-eyed  grass, 
with  the  dainty  curling  leaf  tip  of  a  carrot  for  a  back 
ground,  and  as  she  held  it  up  to  note  the  general 
effect,  she  asked  with  a  sudden  show  of  interest : 

"What's  become  o'  them  Humbres,  —  do  you 
know?" 

There  was  no  reason  in  the  world  why  Comfort's 
tell-tale  face  should  flush  so  hotly  from  brow  to  chin, 
or  why  her  voice  should  all  at  once  grow  low  and 
tender  as  she  replied,  after  a  moment's  pause : 

"  They  went  to  Europe  the  next  year  after  they 
were  here,  that  is  the  ladies  did,  so  that  Lois  could 
study  music  in  Germany.  But  Mr.  Humbre  enlisted 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  and  served  all 
through  it,  —  " 

"  Lost  'is  arm,  did  n't  he?"  asked  the  scarce  sym 
pathetic  listener. 

"  Yes,"  and  the  girl  caught  her  breath  with  some 
thing  like  a  sob.  "  Yes,  his  right  arm.  He  came 
out  of  the  war  with  a  general's  shoulder-straps,  but 
all  his  hopes  as  an  artist  were  lost  forever." 

"That 's  too  bad."  Mandy  spoke  briskly,  unmind 
ful  of  the  pitiful  tenderness  underlying  her  com 
panion's  words.  "  But  where  are  they  now?" 

Comfort's  face  was  bent  over  her  work,  and  it  was 
a  full  minute  before  she  replied  to  the  question. 

"  Lois  has  n't  written  me  for  more  than  a  year,  but 


"A  Little  More  Than  Kin"        227 

in  Franz's  last  letter  he  said  that  they  were  about 
starting  for  home.  That  was  six  months  ago,  and 
they  are  probably  at  home  long  before  this." 

"  How  is  he,  —  Franz  Hedvig,  getting  along?  " 

This  was  a  question  that  Comfort  was  well  used  to 
hearing,  for,  knowing  that  he  had  corresponded  with 
her  ever  since  he  went  to  Sweden,  the  good  folks  not 
unnaturally  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  the  boy 
and  girl  friendship  had  ripened  into  a  stronger  and 
tenderer  sentiment,  although  the  easy,  unembarrassed 
manner  in  which  she  always  spoke  of  him  should, 
long  ago,  have  disabused  them  of  that  idea. 

"  Very  well,  I  hope.  Since  his  graduation  and  his 
uncle's  death  he  has  spent  most  of  his  time  in  Ger 
many,  where  he  has  been  one  of  the  royal  engineers, 
with  very  fair  pay  and  a  good  prospect  of  rising  in 
his  profession." 

She  did  not  choose  to  speak  of  the  ambitious 
hopes  that  he  had  confided  to  her  alone,  —  of  the 
precious  invention  that,  if  he  could  only  get  the 
means  to  perfect  it,  and  bring  it  before  the  eyes  of 
the  scientific  world,  must  needs  prove  a  stepping- 
stone  for  him  to  fame  and  fortune.  With  a  woman's 
unquestioning  trust,  she  firmly  believed  in  the  ulti 
mate  success  of  his  plans,  and  none  but  herself 
guessed  how  bitter  had  been  her  disappointment 
when  a  project  that  she  had  counted  on  as  an  aid  to 
him  came  to  nothing  in  her  weak  hands. 

As  religiously  as  one  would  keep  a  registered  vow, 
she  had  year  by  year  put  aside  Franz's  share  of  the 
"  bee  money,"  so  called,  and  as  the  busy  little  work 
ers  had  thriven  and  increased  wonderfully  under  her 


228  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

wise  care,  the  sum  laid  by  each  season  had  assumed 
very  respectable  proportions  to  her  unaccustomed 
eyes,  so  that  upon  the  youth's  graduation  she  wrote 
with  pardonable  pride  of  the  amount  in  her  hands, 
asking  his  directions  as  to  the  disposal  of  it. 

His  reply  was  not  only  a  disappointment,  but  a 
humiliation  as  well. 

"  I  would  rather,"  he  wrote,  "  that  you  kept  it 
yourself,  Comfort,  —  you  ought  to  have  it  after  all 
your  trouble  and  care,  and  I  hope  you  will  decide  to 
keep  it.  But  so  small  a  sum  would  do  me  little  good, 
just  now,  and  if  you  are  determined,  as  you  say,  that 
I  shall  have  the  benefit  of  it,  you  may  use  it  to  buy 
back  Granny's  few  acres  of  land.  I  hated  to  sell 
them  when  I  did,  but  I  could  do  no  better  then,  and 
no  doubt  your  father  will  be  glad  to  have  them  off 
his  hands.  If  I  should  ever  come  back  to  the  old 
home,  as  I  hope  to  do  some  day,  I  would  like  to  feel 
that  I  could  call  the  small  estate  that  she  felt  so 
much  pride  in,  my  own." 

It  was  all  sensible  and  clearly  stated,  —  Franz  al 
ways  spoke  to  the  point,  —  but  to  have  that  precious 
hoard  that  she  had  accumulated  penny  by  penny, 
and  which  she  had  counted  over  and  over  with  ever 
increasing  pride  and  triumph,  as  the  years  went  by, 
regarded  as  not  worth  the  trouble  of  transportation, 
gave  her  a  real  heartache  that  she  would  have  been 
at  a  loss  to  make  plain  to  Franz,  of  all  people  in  the 
world.  So  she  simply  followed  his  directions  without 
a  word  of  question  or  cavil,  reclaiming  not  only  the 
original  acres  but  adding  an  adjoining  lot,  at  her 
father's  suggestion,  as  of  possible  value  in  some 


"A  Little  More  Than  Kin"        229 

distant  future  when  the  building   lots   might  be    in 
greater  demand  than  now. 

The  papers  were  all  legally  executed,  and  Franz 
acknowledged  their  receipt  in  a  jocose  postscript 
attached  to  his  next  letter : 

"  Title  deeds  received  all  right.  Now  I  am  a  landed 
proprietor,  and  I  do  hope  I  shall  never  be  forced,  like  old 
Monsieur  Gregoire,  to  sell  my  estate  at  a  dollar  an  acre  to 
anybody  who  wants  just  room  enough  to  set  his  log  cabin 
on." 

After  her  father's  death,  Franz  resolutely  refused 
to  claim  any  of  the  "  bee  money,"  and  as  she  had 
now  a  good  market  for  it,  it  added  quite  a  sum  to 
Comfort's  yearly  income  —  an  income  drawn  from 
the  produce  of  her  garden  and  the  small  salary  paid 
her  as  teacher  of  the  village  school  through  the 
summer.  Both  Jotham  and  his  wife  ignored  her  as 
far  as  possible,  the  former  driving  as  hard  a  bargain 
with  her  for  the  vegetables,  honey,  and  fresh  eggs 
that  she  supplied  him  with,  as  with  any  hard-handed 
farmer  or  fisherman  on  the  island. 

Curious  summer  visitors,  attracted  by  the  refined 
and  delicate  face,  no  less  than  by  the  sweet  voice 
that  on  Sundays  filled  the  pretty  Gothic  church  with 
its  pure  melody,  were  briefly  informed  that  she  was 
"  the  girl  who  kept  the  village  school."  And  never 
by  any  chance  did  the  bustling,  pretentious,  and 
gorgeously  attired  landlady  of  the House  pre 
sent  any  of  her  guests  to  the  gentle,  modestly  dressed 
girl,  whom  they  so  often  met  in  their  walks  and  rides, 
as  "  my  husband's  sister."  Ashamed  of  the  relation- 


230  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

ship?  That  could  hardly  be,  for,  apart  from  a  natural 
grace  and  courtesy  of  manner,  Comfort's  taste  in  dress 
was  unquestioned,  —  even  Mrs.  Tabby  reluctantly 
admitting  that  "  Comfort's  ten-cent  ginghams  never 
looked  out  of  place  anywhere,  for  she  wore  'em  as 
the  rich  folks  wore  their  silks  and  laces,  just  as  if 
they  grew  on  'er." 

Jotham,  suave  and  smiling  to  his  guests,  —  the 
very  type  of  the  popular  landlord,  —  had  another 
side  for  the  sister,  whom  his  narrow,  mean  soul  hated 
with  all  its  strength.  If  she  had  been  obsequious 
and  humble,  flattering  his  masculine  vanity  by  de 
ferring  to  him  on  all  occasions,  and  pretending,  if  she 
did  not  think,  that  he  was  the  greatest  man  in  the 
world,  he  might  have  despised  and  slighted  her,  but 
he  would  never  have  hated  her  as  he  did  now. 
Sometimes  it  almost  seemed  like  the  hatred  en 
gendered  by  a  secret  fear,  for  there  was  a  bravado  in 
his  manner  toward  her,  an  unconscious  challenge  that 
seemed  oddly  at  variance  with  his  habitual  indiffer 
ence  and  feigned  contempt.  Had  Comfort  been 
capable  of  that  vice  of  little  minds,  envy,  she  must 
have  felt  keenly  the  difference  between  her  own 
narrow,  confined  life,  and  the  opportunities  and  privi 
leges  that  her  sister-in-law  enjoyed  without  stint. 

With  the  establishment  of  the  new  hotel,  Mistress 
Tabby  had  withdrawn  from  any  share  in  the  house 
keeping  department,  and  in  the  royal  seclusion  of 
her  own  apartments  received  and  entertained  those 
guests  who,  either  from  a  desire  to  be  amused  by  the 
would-be  lady's  airs  and  graces,  or  for  more  pruden 
tial  motives,  paid  court  to  her,  and  flattered  her  with 


"A  Little  More  Than  Kin"        231 

the  idea  that  the  wife  of  a  Bar  Harbor  landlord  was 
necessarily  a  princess  in  her  own  right,  and  should 
be  treated  with  the  deference  due  to  her  rank  and 
position. 

"  It  is  cheaper  to  keep  on  the  soft  side  of  the  land 
lady  than  to  fee  the  waiters,"  shrewdly  remarked  a 
lady  guest,  whose  pedigree  was  a  good  deal  longer 
than  her  purse.  And  as  there  were  plenty  of  these 
thrifty  souls  at  Bar  Harbor,  the  portly  Tabby,  like 
the  old  dame  in  the  legend, 

"  Sitting  nursed  by  man  and  maid, 
Felt  still  her  heart  grow  prouder," 

until,  no  longer  satisfied  with  her  annual  winter  visits 
to  the  great  cities  of  her  own  land,  she  felt  an  ambi 
tion  stirring  beneath  her  gay  matronly  feathers  to 
"see  Rome,"  —  to  be  able  to  say  to  travelled  dilet 
tantes,  with  an  air  as  assured  as  their  own :  "  I,  too, 
know  Raphael  and  Michael  Angelo,  and  have  swept 
the  dust  of  the  Vatican  with  my  own  flounced  and 
Hamburg-trimmed  petticoat." 

Better  even  than  this,  would  be  the  power  to  set 
right  any  untravelled  slip  of  aristocracy  upon  the 
vexed  question  of  some  Parisian  fashion,  with  the 
ultimatum,  "  I  know,  for  I  've  been  there." 

So  Tabby,  taking  advantage  of  a  promising  excur 
sion  party,  went  to  Europe,  and  having  thoroughly 
"  done"  the  Old  World  in  three  months,  was  at  home 
again,  —  a  little  fatter,  a  little  finer  as  to  dress,  and 
more  than  a  little  coarser  and  more  arrogant  than 
when  she  went  away. 

Comfort  had  not  seen  her  since  her  return,  but  her 


232  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

ears  had  rung  with  the  wonderful  stories  of  "  Jotham's 
wife's  fine  dresses  and  splendid  jewelry  and  things," 
—  the  "  things  "  representing  any  number  of  foreign 
ornaments  and  articles  of  vertu,  from  the  Swiss  carv 
ing  of  a  rooster  match-safe  to  one  of  Guide's  Ma- 

o 

donnas  (copied  right  from  the  original). 

It  was  not  in  Comfort's  nature  to  make  any  dis 
paraging  comment  upon  her  sister-in-law,  but  Mandy 
was  not  so  forbearing,  and  sometimes  expressed 
herself  upon  the  subject  with  a  tartness  that  nobody 
wondered  at,  and  with  which  most  of  her  listeners 
either  secretly  or  openly  sympathized. 

"  Been  acrost  the  seas,  and  seen  all  the  sights,  has 
she?  Well,  as  to  that,  lots  o'  folks  could  go  if  they'd 
only  demean  to  half  starve  their  help,  so  's  ter  sell  the 
leavin's  to  the  Indians  in  the  camp  back  here.  I  know 
f  r  a  fact,  that  Tabby  Hadlock  makes  more  money  in 
a  season  sellin'  the  scraps  from  the  boarders'  plates, 
instead  of  lettin'  her  table  girls  have  'em,  than  them 
girls'  wages  come  to.  I  would  n't  work  for  'er  if  I 
was  starvin'." 

Cherishing  this  opinion  of  the  travelled  dame,  it  is 
not  strange  that  Comfort's  honest-souled  little  hand 
maiden  should  have  seen  with  an  uncomfortable  feeling 
of  repulsion,  as  with  her  basket  of  flowers  she  passed 
in  the  kitchen  entrance,  the  mistress  herself  in  spotless 
morning  dress,  laying  down  the  law  to  the  steward  in 
a  mincing,  affected  tone,  while  she  emphasized  her 
words  with  a  stubby  forefinger  upon  which  glittered 
conspicuously  a  diamond  of  considerable  value. 

"  Now  I  want  you  to  remember  that  my  lemon  is 
to  be  thoroughly  rolled  before  it  is  squeezed  into  the 


"A  Little  More  Than  Kin"        233 

glass,  —  and  brought  to  me  just  ten  minutes  before 
the  gong  strikes." 

The  steward  bowed  respectfully. 

"  I  will  see  that  it  is  done,  madam." 

And  as  the  flattered  Tabby  sailed  grandly  away, 
Mandy's  shyness  was  all  forgotten  in  a  burst  of  tri 
umphant  laughter,  as  one  of  the  table  girls,  seizing 
the  lemon  threw  it  on  the  floor,  and  rolling  it  beneath 
one  of  her  substantial  feet,  called  merrily  to  her 
mates : 

"  I'll  give  her  lemon  a  squeezing  that  '11  bring  out 
the  flavor." 

The  steward  was  old  at  his  business,  and  he  found 
it  convenient  just  then  to  look  the  other  way, —  Mis 
tress  Tabby  might  as  well  eat  her  peck  of  dirt  in  that 
form  as  any  other. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

"  I  'VE  BEEN  TO    LONDON  TO   SEE    THE   QTJEEN  " 

FT  was  a  bright  June  morning,  and  Comfort  Had- 
•*•  lock  sat  in  her  favorite  seat  upon  the  warm  door- 
stone,  putting  the  finishing  touches  to  a  new  gown 
that  she  was  making  for  Mandy,  and  singing  softly  to 
herself,  so  softly  that  her  voice  scarcely  rose  above 
the  hum  of  the  bees,  that  haunted  the  clematis  over 
head.  There  are  days  that  we  all  have  known,  when 
the  restfulness  of  perfect  peace  seems  to  fill  all  the 
placid  atmosphere,  when  the  air  while  warm  and 
balmy  is  invigorating,  and  not  a  harsh  or  misplaced 
note  is  to  be  heard  in  the  whole  grand  symphony  of 
Nature  about  us.  And  such  a  day  was  this,  with  its 
cloudless  sky  and  brightly  shimmering  sea,  that,  as 
the  girl's  eyes,  full  of  a  wordless  content,  watched  it, 
seemed  like  the  breast  of  some  mighty,  mail-clad 
warrior,  whose  foam-white  beard  curled  softly  above 
and  around  the  glittering  hauberk,  as  if  the  two  were 
one  and  inseparable  now  and  forever.  Swiftly  her 
needle  flew,  for  she  remembered  that  school  would 
begin  in  two  weeks  at  the  farthest,  and  that  then  her 
needle  must  of  necessity  give  place  to  pen  and 
pencil. 

For  three  summers  she  had  taught  the  village  school, 
and  although  no  special  bargain  had  been  made  be 
tween  herself  and  Jotham,  who  was  the  agent  this  year, 


"  I've  Been  to  London  "  235 

there  was  a  tacit  understanding  that  she  was  to  fill 
the  place  as  heretofore.  Mandy's  new  venture  had 
proved  a  success,  her  simple  nosegays  finding  a  ready 
sale  among  the  summer  visitors  who  had  thus  early 
made  their  appearance,  and  Comfort  took  a  benevo 
lent  pleasure  in  the  pride  and  delight  of  her  faithful 
satellite,  who  was  overjoyed  at  the  thought  that  she 
was  able  to  add  in  this  way  to  the  general  housekeep 
ing  fund.  Not  that  the  girl  had  ever  been  an  idle 
dependent  upon  her  friend's  bounty,  for  without  her 
watchful  ministry  Comfort  would  have  missed  a  score 
of  little  luxuries  that,  with  her  other  duties,  she  could 
never  have  found  time  to  provide  for  herself,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  companionship  that  made  her  forget 
for  the  time,  in  its  full,  overflowing  vitality,  the  lone 
liness  and  silence  of  these  memory-haunted  rooms. 
Nor  did  the  fisherman's  little  maid  disdain  on  occa 
sion  to  try  her  hand  in  a  small  way  at  her  grand 
father's  calling,  and  always  so  successfully  that  not 
only  was  the  family  larder  the  richer,  but  many  a 
dollar  found  its  way  into  their  hoard  from  the  sale 
of  her  finny  trophies. 

And  now  as  she  stepped  briskly  about  her  house 
hold  tasks  within,  stopping  now  and  then  to  ex 
change  a  merry  word  with  her  young  mistress  in  the 
open  doorway,  her  face  wore  a  look  of  such  perfect 
content  that  Comfort,  as  she  bent  over  her  sewing, 
smiled  to  herself  with  moistened  eyes,  as  she  recalled 
the  forlorn  little  figure,  ragged  and  draggled,  with 
unkempt  hair  and  tear-stained  face,  that,  on  that  sad 
evening  when,  after  her  father's  funeral,  she  sat  all 
alone  in  the  silent  house,  came  timidly  in  at  the  door, 


236  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

—  never  stopping  for  the  ceremony  of  knocking,  — 
and  creeping  close  to  her  side,  whispered  in  a  voice 
tremulous  with  pity  as  well  as  cold : 

"  Don't  ye  want  me  ter  'bide  with  ye  till  yer  gits  a 
little  used  ter  pullin'  a  single  oar?  I  know  what  't  is." 

And  from  that  hour  the  lonely  little  waif  had  freely 
shared  her  bit  and  sup,  repaying  a  thousand-fold  by 
her  affectionate  devotion  the  time  and  patience  ex 
pended  upon  her.  With  that  natural  womanly  desire 
to  "  mother  "  something,  —  a  desire  that  finds  its  out 
come  in  the  little  girl's  tender  devotion  to  her  doll  as 
really  as  when,  in  later  years,  she  gladly  denies  her 
self  that  she  may  expend  all  her  means  and  energies 
upon  the  adornment  of  her  child,  —  Comfort  took  an 
innocent  pride  in  dressing  her  protege  as  prettily 
and  neatly  as  their  small  means  would  permit,  and 
Mandy's  simple  print  and  gingham  gowns  were  as 
daintily  and  tastefully  planned  and  finished  as  if  they 
had  been  fashioned  of  the  costliest  silks.  The  girl 
was  growing  tall  and  womanly,  and  her  kind  friend 
thought,  with  pleased  satisfaction,  how  well  she 
would  look  in  the  pretty  gingham  that  fitted  so  per 
fectly  her  slender,  well-rounded  form. 

"  There,"  with  a  satisfied  sigh,  as  she  shook  out  the 
crisp,  fresh  folds,  "  your  dress  is  all  finished,  even  to 
the  loops  to  hang  it  up  by.  Now  if  you  will  bring  me 
that  muslin  for  your  apron  I  will  cut  and  baste  it,  so 
that  you  can  make  it  yourself  when  you  have  time." 

Mandy's  face  shone  delightedly. 

"  I  'm  ever  and  ever  so  much  obliged.  Yes,  I  '11 
get  —  " 

She  stopped  so  suddenly  that  Comfort  looked  up 


"I've  Been  to  London"  237 

in  some  surprise,  as  a  shadow  fell  across  her  folded 
hands,  and  there  was  Mrs.  Tabby,  in  all  the  full 
blown  luxuriance  of  a  rose-colored  silk  tea-gown,  and 
hat  fairly  bristling  with  French  daisies,  mincing  down 
the  grassy  pathway,  her  high-heeled  slippers  making 
her  pace  quite  as  ungainly  as  that  of  her  heathen 
sister  on  the  other  side  of  the  globe.  Comfort  rose 
to  receive  her  with  a  momentary  feeling  of  embar 
rassment,  for  this  was  the  first  time  that  her  sister-in- 
law  had  deigned  to  show  her  face  at  the  old 
farm-house  since  her  return  from  abroad,  months  be 
fore,  and  it  was  not  in  human  nature  to  be  oblivious  of, 
or  quite  unresentful  of  the  slight.  But  Mistress  Tabby 
had  an  axe  to  grind,  and,  with  the  crafty  diplomacy 
of  her  kind,  she  assumed  an  air  of  affectionate  cor 
diality  that  made  the  suspicious  Mandy,  who  was 
peeping  from  a  convenient  doorway,  shrewdly  sus 
pect  that  some  mischief  was  in  the  wind. 

"  Oh,  you  dear,  dear  girl !  How  glad  I  am  to  see 
you  once  more." 

And  she  clasped  the  "  dear  girl  "  in  such  a  close 
embrace  that  her  own  taut  laces  creaked  with  the 
unwonted  strain. 

"  I  've  been  dying  to  see  you  ever  since  I  got 
home,  but  I  ain't  been  well,  an'  the  boarders  are 
beginning  to  come,  an',  —  well,  the  truth  is,  Mr. 
Hadlock  can't  bear  to  have  me  out  of  his  sight  a 
minute,  I  've  been  gone  so  long,  you  know." 

Comfort  assented  with  an  amused  smile,  as  she 
invited  her  flushed  visitor  into  the  cool,  shaded  par 
lor;  but  Mrs.  Tabby  sank  down  upon  the  sheltered 
doorstone  with  a  sigh  of  oily  satisfaction. 


238  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  It 's  too  hot  to  go  into  the  house,"  she  panted ; 
"  I  '11  set  right  down  here,  —  I  can  get  my  breath 
better  in  the  open  air,  —  an'  I  've  got  sights  of 
things  to  tell  you  about." 

Comfort  quietly  resumed  her  sewing,  and  her  visi 
tor  went  on  to  unburden  her  mind  of  its  promiscuous 
hoard. 

"  Oh,  how  I  wish  you  could  see  Parse,  —  dear, 
beautiful  Paree!  "  clasping  her  fat  hands  in  an  ecstacy 
of  gorgeous  retrospection.  "  With  its  splendid  shops, 
an'  churches,  an'  gardings,  an'  the  bullyvards,  — 
there  you  see  all  the  big  bugs  from  everywhere, 
ridin'  on  horseback  or  in  the  stunnin'est  carriages, 
with  ribbons  on  the  whip  an'  the  horses'  heads  that 
must  have  cost  all  of  four  an'  six  a  yard ;  an'  the 
gentleman  that  drove  an'  the  one  that  rid  behind 
both  dressed  to  kill,  with  gold  lace  on  their  coats  an' 
white  kid  gloves,  jest  as  if  they  was  goin'  to  a  wed- 
din'." 

"  Did  you  see  the  Palace  of  the  Tuileries,  and  the 
Louvre,  and  the  old  prison  of  the  Conciergerie  where 
poor  Marie  Antoinette  was  confined?"  asked  Com 
fort  with  eager  interest,  as  Tabby  paused  for  a 
moment  to  take  breath. 

The  travelled  lady  regarded  her  with  calm  disdain. 

"  Them  old  duds !  why,  nobody  goes  to  see  them 
now.  They  're  all  gone  by,  an'  folks  that  go  to  Paree 
now  go  to  see  something  new  and  stylish.  Why," 
warming  with  her  subject,  "  you  can  get  more  new 
wrinkles  in  the  way  of  dress  than  you  could  get  any 
where  else  in  the  world.  Do  you  see  this?  "  turning 
up  one  fat  shoulder  to  call  her  listener's  attention  to 


"I've  Been  to  London"  239 

the  muslin  cape  she  wore ;  "  well,  I  got  the  pattern 
of  this  from  one  that  belonged  to  a  real  countess 
that  was  stayin'  at  the  hotel  where  we  was.  They 
call  it  a  '  commyeelfe  '  over  there,  an'  you  '11  laugh  to 
know  how  well  I  worked  it  to  get  the  pattern." 

Comfort  smiled,  but  made  no  comment,  and  Mrs. 
Tabby  went  on  with  infinite  relish  to  tell  the  story  of 
the  confiscated  cape  pattern: 

"  She  was  awful  stylish,  and  high  toned,  and  all 
that,  you  know, —  looked  right  over  our  heads  if  she 
happened  to  meet  us  (just  as  if  some  of  us  could  n't 
'a'  bought  'er  twice  over).  But  her  maid  was  a  social 
body,  and  knew  enough  English  to  make  consider- 
ble  talk.  So  I  found  out  lots  of  things  that  I  never 
should  have  known  any  other  way,  about  how  much 
her  dresses  cost,  and  what  jewelry  she  had,  and  why 
she  didn't  live  with  her  husband,  and  all  that  sort 
of  thing,  you  know.  Well,  one  day  I  saw  her  going 
out  and  she  had  on  one  of  these  new  kind  of  capes, 
so  I  said  something  to  Marie,  the  maid,  about  its 
being  a  stylish  thing,  and  the  maid  smiled  and 
hunched  up  her  shoulders,  (a  way  all  them  French 
women  have),  and  says  she: 

"  'Ah,  we  !  Madame  is  always  commyeelfe.'  That 
was  just  what  I  wanted,  the  name,  you  see,  —  so  I 
went  to  a  dressmaker's  shop  and  told  the  woman 
what  I  wanted.  She  did  n't  seem  to  know  what  I 
meant  at  first,  but  I  ketched  up  a  piece  of  muslin 
that  was  layin'  there  and  folded  it  as  well  as  I  could, 
and  threw  it  over  my  shoulders.  And  she  froze  to 
the  idea  right  off,  and  I  got  my  cape,  though  I  had  to 
pay  an  outrageous  price  for  it.  But,  as  I  told  Mr. 


240  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Hadlock,  when  I  went  away,  I  was  going  to  go  the 
whole  hog  or  none." 

Comfort  was  only  human,  and  as  she  glanced  at 
her  sister-in-law's  complacent  face  and  heard  her 
boast  of  the  money  that  in  her  ignorance  she  had 
wasted  upon  a  mere  trifle,  the  temptation  grew  strong 
within  her  to  undeceive  her  by  the  simple  explana 
tion  of  the  real  meaning  of  the  Frenchwoman's 
phrase.  Tabby  richly  deserved  the  mortification  and 
chagrin  that  she  would  feel  if  once  she  knew  of  her 
ridiculous  blunder,  and  few,  under  the  circumstances, 
would  have  refrained  from  telling  her  of  it.  But 
with  Comfort  the  temptation  was  only  momentary, 
and  she  was  soon  so  interested  in  Tabby's  further 
communication  that  she  forgot  all  about  it  for  the 
time. 

"  But  who  do  you  think  I  run  acrost  in  one  o' 
them  German  towns,  —  (I  forget  the  name  of  it  now,) 
somebody  that  you  an'  me  used  to  know  years 
ago?" 

"Not  the  Humbres?" 

"  Yes,  the  Humbres,  —  the  old  woman  and  her 
daughter,  and  Lois  Gregory.  And,  queerest  of  all 
there  was  Franz  Hedvig,  as  big  as  life,  tagging  round 
after  that  Lois,  jest  as  if  there  wa'  n't  such  a  body  as 
Comfort  Hadlock  in  the  world." 

She  glanced  sharply  at  Comfort's  interested  face, 
evidently  curious  to  see  how  this  bit  of  foreign  gossip 
would  be  received.  But  the  girl  was  so  startled  and 
surprised  that  she  took  no  heed  of  her  scrutiny. 

"  Is  it  possible?  Franz  wrote  of  meeting  them  in 
Berlin,  but  I  never  guessed  that  he  might  be  in- 


"I've  Been  to  London"  241 

terested  in  Lois.  But,"  she  asked  with  sudden 
apprehension,  "  did  Mrs.  Humbre  approve  of  the 
intimacy?  " 

"  Not  much,"  and  Tabby  laughed  spitefully. 
"  She  was  sick  all  the  time,  had  some  kind  of  a 
stroke,  I  believe,  and  the  young  folks  had  it  all  their 
own  way,  for  the  old  maid  daughter  had  all  she 
could  do  to  tend  out  on  her  mother.  The  old 
woman  was  cross  as  a  bear  with  a  sore  head,  so 
the  chambermaid  told  me,  and  from  what  I  knew 
of  her  I  don't  doubt  it." 

"  And  you  think  Lois  really  cares  for  him?" 

There  was  an  anxious  strain  in  the  girl's  voice  as 
she  put  her  question.  That  Lois,  beauty  and  belle 
as  she  was,  was  expected  to  make  a  grand  match, 
and  had  been  trained  and  tutored  for  that  very  pur 
pose,  Comfort  well  knew,  and  could  it  be  possible 
that  for  her  own  selfish  gratification  she  would  trifle 
with  a  heart  as  true  and  loyal  as  that  of  Franz 
Hedvig  must  needs  be?  She  would  not  believe  it, 
and  her  gossipy  visitor  was  puzzled  and  rather  taken 
aback  by  the  frank,  unaffected  interest  that  she  cer 
tainly  took  in  the  love  affairs  of  these  two,  one  of 
whom  had  for  years  been  accredited  with  being  her 
own  sweetheart. 

As  Mrs.  Tabby  at  length  rose  to  take  her  leave  a 
sudden  thought  seemed  to  strike  her,  and  she  re 
marked  carelessly: 

"  There,  I  came  pretty  near  forgetting  the  errand 
that  Mr.  Hadlock  sent  by  me:  He  wanted  me  to  tell 
you  that  he  'd  like  to  buy  that  old  pastur'  o'  yours. 
We  're  going  to  keep  two  or  three  cows  of  our  own 

16 


242  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

this  summer,  and  he  's  sold  all  his  own  pastur'  land 
an'  had  ruther  buy  than  hire.  He  said  he  'd  drop 
in  in  a  day  or  two  an'  talk  it  over." 

Her  parting  "  Come  in  and  see  us  some  day,"  was 
spoken  with  such  a  hurriedly  indifferent  air,  that  as 
Comfort  watched  the  big  rose-colored  cloud  dis 
appearing  from  sight  down  the  long,  grass-bordered 
highway,  a  strange  feeling  came  over  her,  —  as  if  all 
this  pretended  cordiality,  so  different  from  her  usual 
manner,  had  been  intended  as  a  blind,  and  that  her 
mission  once  accomplished,  she  had  dispensed  with 
it  as  quickly  as  possible.  In  vain  she  blamed  her 
self  for  this  unwonted  suspiciousness,  but  all  through 
the  day  that  false  ring  in  her  visitor's  parting  com 
munication  rang  in  her  ears  and  would  not  be  for 
gotten.  It  haunted  her  with  an  uneasy  foreboding 
of  coming  ill  as  she  sat  alone  in  the  twilight,  — 
Mandy  having  dropped  into  a  neighbor's  for  an  hour, 
—  so  that  she  was  very  glad  of  the  diversion  when 
the  Widow  Scripture's  familiar  voice  broke  in  upon 
her  solitude,  and  forced  her  to  turn  her  attention  to 
something  outside  of  her  own  moody  fancies. 

The  widow  was  full  of  business  as  usual,  talking  of 
certain  improvements  that  they  had  made  in  the 
house  and  its  arrangements,  of  the  guests,  the  help, 
the  lateness  of  the  season,  of  everything,  in  fact,  but 
her  daughter  and  her  foreign  experiences.  Comfort 
was  the  first  to  introduce  the  subject. 

"  Tabby  had  a  fine  time  abroad,  she  tells  me.  I  'm 
glad  she  enjoyed  herself  so  well,  and  is  at  home 
again  safe  and  sound." 

The  widow  started  nervously.      "  Where  did  you 


"  I've  Been  to  London  " 


243 


see'er?"  she  asked  with  a  sharpness  that  the  subject 
scarcely  seemed  to  warrant. 

"  She  made  me  a  long  call  this  forenoon,"  returned 
Comfort  pleasantly. 

Her  companion  shuffled  her  feet  uneasily,  and 
there  was  a  tone  of  mingled  anxiety  and  suspicion  in 
her  voice  as  she  asked,  after  a  moment's  pause : 

"  What  'd  she  have  ter  say?" 

"  Oh,  she  told  me  all  about  the  sights  in  Paris,  and 
her  meeting  with  the  Humbres  and  Franz  Hedvig  in 
Germany.  I  knew,"  she  added  with  a  little  hesita 
tion,  remembering  the  widow's  prejudices,  "that  Mrs. 
Humbre  had  been  in  poor  health  for  a  long  time, 
but  I  did  n't  know  before  that  she  was  a  paralytic." 

The  widow  gave  an  unsympathetic  grunt. 

"  She  can  be  just  as  lazy  as  she  wants  to  now,"  she 
sniffed.  "  I  really  think  that 's  long 's  she  's  got  some 
body  to  wait  on  'er,  she  's  as  well  contented  in  bed  as 
she  'd  be  anywhere." 

Comfort  did  not  feel  herself  called  upon  to  cham 
pion  the  absent  lady,  and  after  a  few  more  irrele 
vant  remarks,  the  good  woman  rose  to  take  her  leave, 
lingering  in  the  doorway  to  pick  a  bit  of  sweet  clover, 
with  the  low-spoken  reminder: 

"  I  give  yer  mother  this  root  the  summer  before 
she  died,  and  somehow  the  smell  of  it  brings  her 
back  to  me." 

Tears  sprang  to  Comfort's  eyes  as  she  stood  there 
in  the  quiet  starlight.  For  some  reason  she  felt 
strangely  desolate  and  unprotected,  —  Oh,  if  that 
mother  were  only  with  her  now ! 

Suddenly   with  a  quick,   resolute    movement,   the 


244  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

widow  turned,  and  laid  a  trembling  hand  upon  the 
girl's  shoulder,  as  she  whispered  sharply  in  her  ear : 
"  Don't  you  sell  one  foot  o'  yer  land  to  Jotham  at 
any  price."  Then  disregarding  the  girl's  exclamation 
of  astonishment,  she  hurried  away  with  the  muttered : 
"It's  a  mean  bird  that  fouls  its  own  nest,  —  but  I 
can't  see  your  mother's  child  cheated,  nohow." 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

"  HE     THAT    IS    GREEDY    OF     GAIN    TROUBLETH    HIS 
OWN   HOUSE  " 

WHAT  could  the  widow's  warning  mean  ?  It  was 
evidently  spoken  with  reluctance,  and  under 
the  softening  influence  of  some  tender  recollections 
of  the  gentle  woman,  whose  harmless  life  had  been 
lived  out  in  that  old  farmhouse,  like  a  wandering 
morning-glory  vine  that  Comfort  had  once  watched 
as  it  crept  unawares  into  the  cellar  windows,  and 
wreathing  the  rough  stone  wall  with  its  delicate  ten 
drils  and  pale  pink  and  purple  trumpets,  had  tried 
its  best  to  cheer  and  beautify  the  deep  gloom, 
although  the  sunlight  for  which  it  pined  never  glad 
dened  it  into  the  riotous  luxuriance  that  was  its  birth 
right.  All  through  her  morning  tasks  the  girl  pondered 
with  an  anxious  heart  the  significant  words  that 
meant,  if  they  did  not  say:  "Don't  trust  your 
brother,  —  he  will  wrong  you  if  you  do." 

Comfort's  womanly  heart  shrank  with  sensitive 
dread  from  the  thought  that  her  only  relative  in  the 
wide  world,  — the  brother  who  had  lain  an  innocent 
baby  upon  the  breast  of  their  sainted  mother,  — 
could  find  it  in  his  heart  to  wrong  her,  as  his  mother- 
in-law  had  intimated.  Jotham  had  always  been  harsh, 
and  with  increasing  prosperity  coldly  neglectful  of 
her,  but  that  he  would  deliberately  plan  to  do  her 


246  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

an  actual  wrong  she  could  not  and  would  not  allow 
herself  to  believe. 

Her  father  had  been  harsh  and  stern  but  he  had  been 
the  soul  of  honor,  and  although  he  had  bequeathed 
her  a  barren  heritage,  hedging  even  that  about  with 
restrictions  that  left  her  only  the  uncertain  power 
of  veto,  he  had  evidently  believed  in  the  will  as  well 
as  the  wisdom  of  his  favorite  son  to  act  for  her  best 
good  in  the  matter  should  the  unlikely  question  of  a 
sale  ever  arise.  There  had  been  some  talk  lately  in 
the  neighborhood  that  land  was  rapidly  increasing 
in  value,  and  that  desirable  building  lots  would  soon 
command  fabulous  prices.  But  this  was  mere  specu 
lation,  and  Comfort  had  never  thought  of  it  in  con 
nection  with  her  own  barren,  rocky  possessions. 
Perhaps  Jotham  wanted  to  speculate  on  it,  and  she 
decided,  when  he  should  make  the  promised  call, 
to  ask  him  frankly  in  regard  to  the  matter. 

Mandy,  unsuspicious  of  the  secret  trouble  of  her 
young  mistress,  had  gone  off  in  high  spirits  with  her 
basket  of  nosegays,  as  usual,  and  Comfort  sat  down 
by  the  open  window  with  her  sewing  to  await  the 
appearance  of  her  brother  who,  she  felt  a  secret 
intuition,  would  take  the  time  when  she  was  sure  to 
be  alone  to  make  his  visit.  Yes,  there  he  was,  hurry 
ing  along  the  road  that  led  from  the  pasture.  He 
had  evidently  been  taking  a  survey  of  the  land,  for 
in  his  hand  he  carried  a  slender  birch  switch  with 
which  he  was  absently  whipping  off  the  heads  of  the 
unoffending  buttercups  and  daisies,  —  a  habit,  as 
Comfort  remembered  with  half  a  smile,  that  he 
had  had  from  boyhood. 


"  He  that  is  Greedy  of  Gain  "       247 

Unnoticed  herself,  she  watched  him  with  eyes  made 
keen  by  her  newly  aroused  suspicion,  as  he  came 
briskly  up  the  path,  not  as  one  bent  upon  a  leisurely 
morning  call,  but  with  an  air  that  meant  business, 
sharp,  prompt,  unscrupulous,  —  the  gait,  the  air, 
the  look  bespoke  the  man  whose  sole  aim  in  life 
was  gain.  And  yet,  when  his  sister  met  him  with 
her  frank,  kindly  welcome,  and  invited  him  into  the 
well-remembered  room  where  their  mother  always 
sat,  even  pressing  upon  him  the  easy-chair  that  was 
especially  devoted  to  her  use  during  the  last  years 
of  her  life,  a  momentary  flush  as  of  shame  passed 
over  his  hard  face,  and  he  glanced  uneasily  at  his 
father's  picture  upon  the  wall  opposite,  as  if  half 
afraid  that  those  stern  lips  might  open  to  denounce 
him  as  false  to  his  trust  as  a  man  and  a  brother. 
But  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  swayed  by  fancies,  and 
after  a  moment's  embarrassed  silence  he  came  straight 
to  the  object  of  his  visit. 

"  I  can't  stop  but  a  minute,  Comfort.  I've  got  a 
hundred  things  to  see  to  this  mornin',  but  I  jest 
dropped  in  to  talk  about  that  pastur',  —  Mis'  Had- 
lock  told  you  that  I'd  take  it  off  o'  yer  han's?" 

Comfort  nodded,  and  in  spite  of  the  gathering 
heaviness  about  her  heart  she  could  not  refrain  from 
a  smile  at  the  little  affectation  of  speaking  to  her  of 
Tabby  as  if  she  had  been  a  stranger.  But  Jotham 
was  as  oblivious  of  the  smile  as  he  was  ignorant  of 
the  thought  that  lay  beneath. 

"  You  see,"  he  went  on,  "  I  've  been  thinkin'  that 
land  ain't  no  good  to  you,  but  it  might  do  to  pastur' 
some  o'  my  hosses  in,  —  " 


248  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  They  should  have  agreed  upon  the  kind  of 
animal  beforehand,"  thought  Comfort,  with  a  remem 
brance  of  Tabby's  plausible  story  of  yesterday.  And 
at  that  moment  a  new  spirit  was  born  within  her,  a 
calm  determination  that  she  would  be  neither  coaxed 
nor  bullied  into  selling  this  land  that  her  father  had 
bequeathed  her,  that  she  would  exercise  the  right  of 
woman  no  less  than  man  to  stand  on  the  defensive 
for  her  rights. 

"  I  've  been  thinkin',"  went  on  the  unsuspicious 
Jotham,  "  that  seein'  I  'm  gettin'  along  fairly  well  in 
the  world,  an'  you  're  all  the  one  that 's  left  of  our 
family,  that  't  won't  hurt  me  to  pay  you  more  'n  the 
land  is  really  worth." 

He  straightened  himself  with  an  assumed  air  of 
benevolence  that  sat  ill  upon  him,  and  called  up  the 
blushes  to  Comfort's  sensitive  face,  —  he  had  not  the 
grace  to  be  ashamed  of  himself,  but  his  sister  was 
ashamed  for  him. 

"Well?" 

She  spoke  but  the  single  word,  with  an  effort,  for 
he  had  paused  evidently  expecting  a  reply. 

"  Yes,  I  '11  give  you,  —  lemme  see,"  —  counting  up 
the  acres  on  his  fingers,  "  I'll  give  you  a  hundred  and 
twenty-five  dollars  if  you  '11  give  me  a  deed  of  the 
whole.  Pay  you  the  cash  right  down,  an'  we  '11  have 
the  deed  made  out  this  very  day." 

In  his  eagerness  he  had  overshot  the  mark,  for  his 
haste  was  in  itself  a  confirmation  of  her  suspicions, 
and  in  a  few  calmly  spoken  words  she  refused  his 
offer. 

"  I  shall  not  part  with  the  property  at  any  price, 


"  He  that  is  Greedy  of  Gain  "       249 

for  the  present,"  she  said,  turning  away  her  eyes 
from  his  angry,  astonished  face.  "  I  have  heard  that 
the  price  of  land  about  here  is  steadily  rising,  and  if  I 
can  hold  it  a  few  years  I  may  get  thousands  instead 
of  hundreds  for  it.  At  any  rate  it  seems  wise  to  wait." 

She  tried  to  speak  lightly,  playfully,  even,  but  her 
brother  was  in  no  mood  for  pleasantries. 

"  Who  has  been  putting  such  devilish  nonsense 
into  yer  head?"  he  blustered.  "It's  a  lie,  and  no 
body  but  a  fool  would  believe  it.  Did  she, — the  old 
woman,  tell  you  that?  " 

Comfort  was  thankful  that  she  could  give  a  truth 
ful  negative,  on  hearing  which  the  angry  man  by 
a  great  effort  controlled  himself,  and  for  the  first  time 
in  their  lives,  deigned  to-  reason  with  his  refractory 
sister. 

"  Now,  Comfort,  you  jest  put  all  that  nonsense  out 
o'  your  head,  an'  listen  to  reason.  I  don't  pretend 
that  land  ain't  higher  here  now  than  'twas  ten  years 
ago,  —  that  Stan's  ter  reason,  for  this  is  a  growin' 
place,  as  every  fool  knows.  But  let  me  tell  you  it 
makes  a  mighty  sight  o'  difference  where  the  land  is. 
That  old  pastur'  ain't  nothin'  but  rocks  an'  bushes, 
and  nobody  in  their  senses  '11  ever  think  of  buildin' 
on  it.  These  rich  folks  that  pay  fancy  prices  f'r 
house  lots  want  some  land  round  'em  that  they  can 
lay  out  in  walks  an'  drives.  I  tell  you  the  land 
won't  be  worth  a  boodle  more  ten  years  from  now 
than  it  is  to-day,  —  an'  let  me  tell  you  a  hundred 
an'  twenty-five  dollars  don't  grow  on  every  bush." 

But  Comfort  once  decided  no  power  on  earth 
could  move  her. 


250  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  Perhaps  you  're  right,"  she  said  steadily ;  "  but 
I  'm  not  going  to  sell  the  land  at  present.  It  costs 
nothing  to  keep  it  and  I  '11  run  my  risk." 

Jotham  looked  at  her  with  the  old  hatred  in  his 
eyes  that  had  looked  out  of  those  same  windows 
years  ago  when  as  a  child  she  had  boldly  asserted 
her  independence  of  his  authority. 

"  You  're  doin'  it  jest  to  spite  me.  I  know  yer 
tricks  of  old,"  he  cried  savagely,  forgetting  his  pru 
dence  in  his  disappointed  rage.  "  But  let  me  tell 
you  one  thing,  my  lady,"-— he  lowered  his  voice 
almost  to  a  whisper  and  bent  forward  until  his  hot 
breath,  stifling  with  the  fumes  of  his  morning  draught, 
smote  upon  her  shrinking  cheek,  "  you  're  in  my 
power,  an'  I  never  will  give  my  consent  to  yer  sellin' 
an  acre  of  that  land  to  anybody  else,  if  't  would  make 
you  a  millionaire." 

Comfort  stared  at  him,  fairly  stunned  at  such  un 
heard-of  malice. 

"  You  would  n't  allow  me  to  sell  my  own  land  that 
my  father  left  to  me  if  I  could  get  enough  for  it  to 
make  me  independent?"  she  asked  incredulously. 

"  No,"  and  the  angry  man  ground  his  teeth  to 
gether  like  some  enraged  animal.  "  The  old  man 
left  it  so  that  you  couldn't  sell  a  foot  of  it  without 
my  consent,  and  that  consent  I  swear  you  never  shall 
have.  I  'd  see  you  starve  in  the  gutter  first." 

"  You  can't  mean  it,  Jotham?  " 

The  girl's  tones  were  sadly  incredulous,  and  she 
looked  with  wistful  eyes  at  the  hard,  set  face  of  him 
who  should  have  been  her  protector  rather  than  her 
tyrant.  But  the  mean  animal  nature  of  the  man  was 


"  He  that  is  Greedy  of  Gain  "       251 

uppermost,  and  nothing  but  humble  submission  and 
compliance  with  his  wishes  could  have  touched  him. 
That,  all  the  honest  independence  of  the  girl's  nature 
forbade,  and  her  pale  cheek  only  grew  a  shade  paler, 
and  the  lines  about  her  mouth  more  determined  as 
she  listened  to  his  unmanly  tirade. 

"  You  Ve  always  set  yerself  ag'inst  me,  from  a 
young  one,  and  I  ain't  forgot  the  day  that  you  'd  'a* 
drove  me  off  and  branded  me  as  a  thief,  as  you  did 
Dave,  if  I  had  n't  been  too  cute  f'r  ye." 

"  Were  you  —  too  —  " 

The  speaker's  lips  were  white  as  ashes,  and  her 
eyes  sought  his  face  with  a  frightened  stare  that 
evidently  recalled  him  to  his  senses,  for  he  burst  into 
a  harsh  laugh  that  had  more  of  fear  than  mirth  in  it. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  you  fool?  I  only  meant  yer 
will  was  good  enough  to  have  brought  us  both  into 
trouble  if  you  could." 

He  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot,  —  was  it  from 
passion  or  fear?  And  there  was  that  stern,  pictured 
face  looking  down  upon  him  with  its  eyes  that 
seemed  to  read  every  thought,  every  memory,  even, 
that  floated  through  his  troubled  brain,  while  the  soft 
chintz  covering  of  the  chair  against  which  he  leaned 
his  head  reminded  him  of  the  touch  of  a  tender, 
motherly  hand,  and  he  seemed  to  hear  the  whispered 
words  that  no  mortal  ear  but  his  own  had  listened  to : 

"  Whoso  repenteth  and  forsaketh  his  sin  shall  find 
mercy."  He  roused  himself  and  looked  about  him. 
Comfort's  head  was  bowed  upon  the  table  beside  her 
and  she  was  crying  softly,  the  bees  were  humming 
cheerfully  about  the  morning-glory  vine  that  crept 


252  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

over  the  window,  and  without,  the  voice  of  the  re 
turning  Mandy  was  heard  singing  a  merry  tune. 

Foiled,  angry  with  his  sister  and  himself,  he 
assumed  an  air  of  cold  indifference,  as  he  rose  to  go 
with  the  significant  warning: 

"  You  'd  be  wise  to  think  better  of  it.  An'  if  you 
do,"  he  added  in  a  sharp  whisper  that  might  not 
reach  the  ears  of  the  girl  outside,  "  you  can  come  to 
me  and  say  so.  I  shan't  never  make  you  the  offer  a 
second  time." 

He  was  gone,  and  when  a  few  moments  later  Mandy 
came  into  the  room  she  found  its  occupant  with  pale, 
tear-stained  face,  but  able  to  smile  back  kindly  to  her 
bright  bits  of  village  gossip,  and  even  after  a  little  to 
take  a  decided  interest  in  something  that  the  girl's 
sharp  ears  had  overheard,  and  her  sharper  intelli 
gence  quickly  caught  at  the  significance  of. 

"  While  I  was  waiting  for  Mr.  Chase  to  take  the 
flowers  out  of  the  basket,  I  heard  a  strange  man  say: 
'  I  understand  that  that  belongs  to  Hadlock's  sister, 
—  how  can  he  sell  it?'  Of  course  I  pricked  up  my 
ears  at  that,  and  the  other  says,  '  It 's  in  his  care,  he 
tells  me,  and  he  has  the  sole  right  to  dispose  of  it. 
He  has  promised  to  let  us  have  it  for  twenty  thou 
sand,  and  we  can  make  a  fair  profit  on  that.'  You 
could  'a'  knocked  me  down  with  a  feather,"  went 
on  Mandy  excitedly.  "  Only  think  of  it !  Twenty 
thousand  dollars!  Why,  my  heart  come  right  up  in 
my  mouth,  and  I  thought  f'r  the  minute  I  should  'a' 
choked.  Mr.  Chase  had  to  speak  to  me  three  times 
before  I  even  heard  him,  and  when  he  gave  me  the 
three  silver  dollars  and  some  change,  I  just  longed  to 


"  He  that  is  Greedy  of  Gain  "       253 

toss  'em  into  the  air,  and  holler  so  that  everybody 
could  hear  me :  '  What 's  three  dollars  to  folks 
that 's  rich  as  Comfort  and  me  are  ?  ' ' 

Comfort  smiled,  but  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes 
as  she  said : 

"  I  'm  afraid  we  shall  be  no  better  off  for  this  offer. 
My  brother  objects  to  my  selling  the  land." 

Mandy's  face  fell. 

"  I  s'pose  he  thinks  they  '11  bid  higher  still,  ruther  'n 
not  get  it,"  she  said  ruefully.  "  But  you  know  a  bird 
in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush,  and  with  twenty 
thousand  dollars  we  should  be  rich,  and  not  have  to 
worry  and  plan  about  the  things  that  we  need  to  eat 
and  wear."  And  the  excited  girl  laid  her  head  down 
in  Comfort's  lap,  and  sobbed  out  all  her  grief  and 
disappointment. 

"  'T  would  be  such  a  help,  and  nobody  knows  but 
you  and  I  how  much  we  need  it." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

"  THAT  OLD  HOUSE  OF  YOURS  THAT  GAVE  SUCH 
WELCOMES  OFT  TO  ME" 

have  never  wanted  for  anything  that  we 
really  needed,  and  we  are  just  as  well  off 
now  as  we  ever  have  been." 

Thus  Comfort  cheered  the  heart  of  her  little  hand 
maid,  and  although  Mandy  found  it  hard  to  come  out 
of  her  rosy  cloud  of  anticipation  into  the  dull,  gray 
atmosphere  of  the  old  everyday  life,  she  was  a  sensi 
ble  body,  and  tried  hard  to  make  the  best  of  things 
as  they  were,  without  adding  to  her  mistress"  burdens 
by  useless  pinings  and  regrets. 

It  was  several  days  after  Jotham's  visit,  and  Com 
fort's  disturbed  mind  was  gradually  settling  back  into 
its  normal  state  of  cheerful  serenity.  Jotham  had 
been  terribly  disappointed  in  the  failure  of  the  grand 
speculation  that  he  had  evidently  thought  himself  so 
sure  of,  and  in  his  unreasoning  anger  he  had  threat 
ened  what,  upon  second  thought,  he  would  himself 
see  the  meanness  and  injustice  of.  No  doubt  the 
property  would  increase  in  value,  and  when  the  first 
keen  edge  of  his  wrath  should  be  a  little  blunted,  he, 
her  own  brother,  would  scorn  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
her  realizing  a  fortune  from  it. 

It  is  wonderful  the  amount  of  loving  ingenuity  that 
some  women  expend  in  inventing  excuses  for  the 


"  That  Old  House  of  Yours  "       255 

fathers,  the  husbands,  and  the  brothers,  over  whose 
faults  the  broad  mantle  of  their  own  unselfish  love  is 
thrown,  to  hide  not  from  the  world  alone  but  from 
their  own  eyes  as  well,  the  glaring  deformities  of 
character  that  their  owner  himself  will  not  take  the 
pains  either  to  amend  or  hide.  Comfort  had  had 
little  reason  to  love  her  unbrotherly  brother,  but  he 
was  her  mother's  son,  and  of  her  own  blood  and 
name,  and  in  spite  of  all  his  neglect  and  abuse  she 
could  not  find  it  in  her  heart  to  condemn  him  utterly. 

"  He  is  kinder  at  heart  than  he  seems,"  served  her 
as  it  has  done  thousands  of  her  wronged  yet  loving 
sisters  since  the  world  began,  and  will  so  long  as  it 
stands. 

She  had  been  busy  all  the  morning  looking  over 
her  text  books  in  preparation  for  her  school  duties 
which  would  begin  as  usual  on  the  following  week, 
and  when  glancing  from  the  window  she  saw  Mandy 
returning  with  her  empty  flower  basket,  she  glanced 
at  the  clock  in  surprise.  She  had  no  idea  that  it  was 
so  late,  the  time  had  passed  as  it  always  did  when 
absorbed  in  her  books,  unheeded.  It  seemed  a  little 
strange  that  the  girl  should  loiter  about  the  kitchen 
instead  of  coming  directly  to  report  herself  as  usual, 
and  stranger  still  when,  on  calling  to  her,  she  received 
no  reply.  Perhaps  she  was  sick  or  had  met  with  ill  luck 
in  selling  her  flowers ;  and  ready  with  help  and  sym 
pathy,  Comfort  gathered  her  books  hurriedly  together 
and  sought  the  kitchen,  guided  by  a  faint,  smothered 
sound  that  sounded  suspiciously  like  suppressed  sobs 
or  moans.  With  her  head  resting  on  the  kitchen 
table,  and  her  arms  flung  above  it  in  an  attitude  of 


256  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  deepest  dejection,  Mandy  seemed  the  very  picture 
of  despair,  while  the  sobs  that  she  was  trying  bravely 
to  suppress  shook  her  slender  frame  from  head  to 
foot  and  sent  an  apprehensive  thrill  to  Comfort's 
heart,  as,  laying  a  tender  hand  upon  the  bowed  head, 
she  asked  in  a  half  whisper: 

"  What  is  it,  Mandy?     Are  you  sick  or  hurt?  " 

The  girl  lifted  her  head  and  brushed  back  the 
hair  that  had  fallen  over  her  face,  with  an  unsteady, 
reluctant  hand.  Her  face  was  discolored  and  swollen 
with  weeping,  and  her  whole  body  seemed  to  share  in 
the  general  dejection,  —  it  was  as  if  all  its  sinews  had 
suddenly  become  flaccid  and  prostrate. 

"  No,  I  ain't  sick  nor  hurt,  but,  —  " 

"What  is  it?" 

If  Comfort's  heart  sank,  her  will  was  strong,  and 
in  her  voice  there  was  no  hint  of  the  fear  that 
possessed  her.  The  girl  sat  up  and  tried  to  smile 
through  her  tears,  but  the  smile  was  sadder  than  the 
tears. 

"  I  suppose  I  must  tell  you  but  I  hate  to  dread 
fully.  When  Mr.  Chase  was  putting  the  flowers  into 
water  to  keep  them  fresh  till  the  people  called  for 
them,  Mr.  Hadlock  came  in  and  wanted  to  know  what 
he  was  doing.  When  he  told  him,  he  snapped  out  that 
he  did  n't  hire  a  clerk  to  sell  other  folks'  wares,  and 
he  would  n't  have  any  more  of  it.  Mr.  Chase  tried  to 
excuse  himself  by  sayin'  that  as  'twas  for  his  own 
sister  he  did  n't  s'pose  he  'd  have  cared.  But  he 
would  n't  hear  a  word,  and  he  turned  to  me  and 
ordered  me  out  of  the  house,  just  as  if  I  'd  been  a 
beggar  or  a  thief." 


"  That  Old  House  of  Yours  "       257 

And  Mandy's  tears  burst  forth  afresh,  while  her 
companion  tried  in  vain  to  comfort  her. 

"I  wouldn't  mind  it, — he's  cross  just  now  with 
me  about  that  land.  And  you  can  find  a  market  for 

your  flowers  at  some  of  the  other  hotels,  —  the 

House  isn't  the  only  place  at  Bar  Harbor  where  the 
guests  are  fond  of  flowers.  I  would  n't  be  discouraged 
at  such  a  little  thing  as  that,  —  I'm  not." 

The  girl  looked  at  her  with  a  world  of  tender  pity 
in  her  wet  eyes. 

"I  haven't  told  you  the  worst,"  she  went  on  in  a 
lowered  tone,  "  but  I  s'pose  I  shall  have  to  tell  you. 
I  went  into  Dunham's  store  on  my  way  home,  to  get 
some  thread,  and  while  Mr.  Dunham  was  doing  it  up 
he  asked  me  how  it  happened  that  you  wa'n't  going 
to  keep  the  district  school  this  summer.  I  just 
stared  at  him  for  a  minute ;  my  mouth  was  that  dry 
that  I  could  n't  make  a  sound,  but  at  last  I  made  out 
to  ask:  'Why?'  '  Why,' said  he,  giving  me  a  sur 
prised  look,  'the  agent,  Mr.  Hadlock,  came  to  my 
house  yesterday,  and  engaged  my  Maria  to  keep  the 
school.  I  thought  by  that  that  his  sister  did  n't  want 
it.' " 

Comfort  dropped  into  the  nearest  chair,  while  a 
strange,  suffocating  feeling  came  over  her,  and  she 
put  out  a  trembling  hand,  groping  as  if  for  something 
to  steady  herself. 

"Maria  Dunham  to  have  my  school?"  she  stam 
mered. 

Then  as  if  all  at  once  taking  in  the  full  significance 
of  the  words,  she  covered  her  face  with  her  hands, 
while  the  silent  tears  trickled  through  her  slender 

17 


258  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

fingers,  and  dropped  unheeded  upon  the  spotless 
folds  of  her  neat  morning  gown.  Very  bitter  were 
those  tears,  and  yet  the  bitterness  was  not  all  that  of 
disappointment  and  anticipated  poverty.  It  was  the 
cruel  blow  to  her  feelings,  the  blow  that,  coming  from 
a  brother's  hand  seemed  heavier  than  she  could  bear. 

It  was  now  Mandy's  turn  to  play  the  comforter. 

"  There,  there !  I  would  n't  take  it  so  to  heart  'f  I 
was  you.  The  summer's  a  good  time  to  be  poor  in, 
for  it  costs  less  to  live  than  at  any  other  season. 
And  there  's  the  honey,  and  the  eggs,  and  the  garden 
truck,  and  flowers.  Oh,  law !  "  with  an  airiness  that 
would  have  been  amusing  if  it  had  been  a  whit  less 
pathetic  "  we  can  live  like  pigs  in  clover,  and  if  worse 
comes  to  worst,  I  can  take  up  gran'daddy's  trade. 
I  '11  bet  I  could  catch  fish  enough  in  the  course  o' 
the  summer  to  buy  our  wood  and  flour  f'r  the 
winter." 

Comfort  rose  from  her  seat,  and  putting  her  arms 
around  the  girl,  kissed  her  tenderly,  —  a  rare  expres 
sion  of  affection  from  this  true  daughter  of  New  Eng 
land,  with  whom  kisses  were  too  rare  and  precious  a 
coin  for  everyday  use.  Mandy  felt  the  tender  signifi 
cance,  and  blushed  rosy  red  with  modest  pleasure,  as, 
with  her  hand  instinctively  seeking  the  tiny  chain  about 
her  neck,  Comfort  said,  with  an  attempt  at  hopeful 
ness: 

"  Granny  used  to  say  that  no  one  with  health  and 
a  fair  show  of  sense  need  either  beg  or  go  hungry  in 
this  great  land  of  ours,  where  there  is  work  for  every 
body,  if  he  will  only  do  it.  And  now  I  will  put  away 
my  books  and  start  the  fire,  while  you  pick  the  peas 


"That  Old  House  of  Yours"       259 

for  dinner;  the  work  that  comes  next  to  hand  is 
always  the  best,  — one  must  catch  the  nearest  gos 
lings  before  he  can  get  the  red-winged  goose." 

The  momentary  depression  had  passed,  and  they 
were  lifted  once  more  to  the  dead  level  of  everyday 
needs  and  duties.  And  who  shall  say  that  the  friend 
less  girl,  fearlessly  facing  a  dark  and  doubtful  future, 
as  she  went  about  her  homely  tasks  with  a  firm  trust 
and  hope  in  her  young  heart  that  the  God  of  her 
fathers  had  power  to  keep  His  own,  let  the  outlook 
be  ever  so  cloudy,  was  not  as  brave  and  heroic  in  her 
way  as  the  ever-famous  yeoman  legislator,  who  stood 
manfully  in  his  place  in  the  halls  of  his  State  capitol, 
and  spoke  long  and  well  upon  the  important  question 
of  the  fisheries,  by  the  light  of  candles,  while  the 
world  without  was  in  the  fearful  darkness  of  a  total 
solar  eclipse? 

There  are  many  grades  of  poverty,  and  those  that 
by  their  abject  physical  suffering  appeal  most  strongly 
to  the  sympathies  of  the  public,  are  not  always  those 
who  feel  the  burden  most  heavily.  Warmed,  fed, 
and  decently  clothed  they  are  satisfied,  but  how 
many  struggle  through  life,  the  victims  of  respectable 
penury,  not  able  to  dig  and  with  too  much  honest 
self-respect  to  beg ;  harassed  and  tormented  with 
alternate  fears  and  hopes,  losing  heart  and  courage 
under  the  pressure  of  constant  disappointments,  and 
at  last  sinking  into  premature  graves,  under  a  weight 
that  cannot  longer  be  borne. 

To  Comfort  Hadlock,  refined  and  proudly  self- 
respecting,  the  necessity  of  thrusting  herself  into  the 
arena  of  struggling  men  and  women  who  strive  by 


260  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

force  or  fraud  to  gain  a  foothold  for  themselves 
among  the  bread-winning  masses,  to  be  forced  to 
practise  the  pinchings  and  scrimpings  from  which 
her  generous  soul  revolted,  was  inexpressibly  terri 
ble.  There  was,  too,  the  depressing  consciousness 
that  she  was  really  weaponless.  Debarred  by  her 
father's  narrow  theory  of  the  mental  inequality  of  the 
sexes,  from  the  education  that  she  had  so  longed  for 
in  her  earlier  days,  she  had,  while  making  the  most 
of  the  opportunities  that  had  come  in  her  way,  missed 
the  necessary  discipline  and  order  of  study  that  a 
proper  school  training  would  have  given  her,  and 
while  above  the  average  in  general  information  she 
was  perfectly  conscious  that  she  would  be  sure  to  fail 
in  certain  important  studies  if  subjected  to  a  competi 
tive  examination  for  a  higher  grade  of  school  than 
that  of  her  own  small  village. 

"  I  am  perfect  in  nothing,"  she  sadly  acknowledged 
to  herself  as  she  sat  alone  in  the  shadows  that  even 
ing,  trying  until  her  brain  reeled,  to  think  of  something 
by  which  she  might  support  herself  and  the  equally 
friendless  Mandy.  There  was  factory  work,  —  but 
her  heart  sank  like  lead  at  the  thought  of  exchanging 
the  congenial  quiet  and  spotless  cleanliness  of  her 
own  home  for  the  bustle,  the  bare  unattractiveness, 
and  worst  of  all,  the  undesirable  companionship  of 
a  factory  boarding  house.  It  might  be  necessary, 
but  she  would  not  yet  allow  herself  to  think  of  a 
banishment  from  all  the  sweet,  familiar  sights  and 
sounds  of  her  seaside  home,  to  toil  for  her  bread 
amidst  the  noisy  clatter  of  busy  looms,  and  the  end 
less  stretch  of  weary  beams  and  bars,  in  an  atmos- 


"  That  Old  House  of  Yours  "       261 

phere  where  neither  the  salt  breath  of  the  friendly 
sea,  nor  the  softer  winds  of  the  perfumed  spring 
could  ever  come. 

There  was  nothing  in  her  of  that  adventurous  spirit 
that  finds  a  pleasant  exhilaration  in  buffeting  the 
adverse  tides  of  the  great  world  without.  The 
daughter  of  Cynthia  Hadlock  had  inherited  her 
gentle  mother's  love  for  home  and  home  duties. 
There  was  her  kingdom,  her  rest,  her  inspiration,  and 
from  its  windows  she  could  look  out  upon  the  world 
outside  with  its  inventions,  its  philanthropies,  and  its 
marvellous  discoveries  in  science,  with  a  more  intelli 
gent  appreciation,  a  clearer  vision,  perhaps,  than  if 
her  eyes  had  been  blurred  and  her  ears  bewildered 
with  the  dust  and  din  of  the  near  conflict.  She  was 
so  absorbed  in  her  anxious  thoughts  that  she  failed  to 
hear  Mandy's  step  upon  the  stairs,  or  comprehend 
until  it  was  twice  repeated,  the  announcement: 

"  Here  's  a  letter  for  you." 

"  From  Franz,"  was  her  thought  as,  with  listless, 
unhastening  hand  she  lighted  the  lamp  upon  her 
dressing  table,  and  holding  the  letter  close  to  the 
slowly  kindling  blaze,  read  with  some  surprise  the 
address  and  postmark. 

"  It 's  from  Boston,"  she  said  to  the  waiting  Mandy, 
"  and  I  think  it 's  Miss  Humbre's  handwriting.  I 
thought  they  must  be  at  home  by  this  time,"  she 
added  as  she  broke  the  seal,  and  with  a  face  by  turns 
surprised,  wondering,  and  pleased,  read  the  four 
closely  written  pages,  then  slowly  refolding  it,  she 
returned  it  to  the  envelope  with:  "What  do  you 
think?  Miss  Delphine  writes  to  know  if  I  will  take 


262  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

her  mother,  herself,  and  Lois  to  board  this  summer. 
She  offers  to  pay  liberally  for  the  privilege,  as  she 
calls  it,  and  seems  anxious  to  come,  as  her  mother  is 
an  invalid,  and  cannot  bear  a  hotel  or  boarding  house, 
as  she  must  have  perfect  quiet." 

Mandy  clapped  her  hands  gleefully. 

"  I  knew  that  letter  had  good  news  in  it,  —  I  felt  it 
in  my  bones.  That  '11  a  good  deal  more  'n  make 
up  for  the  loss  of  the  school,  won't  it?  When  they 
coming?  " 

"  As  soon  as  we  can  be  ready  for  them.  But, 
Mandy,  Mrs.  Humbre  is  sick  and  nervous,  and  very 
likely  hard  to  get  along  with.  Can  we  be  patient 
and  attentive,  let  her  say  what  she  may?" 

Mandy's  face  looked  the  reproach  that  she  would 
not  speak.  "  I  can  bear  what  you  can,"  she  said 
shortly. 

"  But,"  as  bent  upon  holding  up  the  shady  side  to 
her  own  as  to  her  handmaid's  eyes,  "  we  shall  have 
to  work  hard  to  satisfy  these  people,  who  have  been 
all  their  lives  used  to  the  best  of  everything." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Mandy. 

"  And  we  must  remember,"  she  went  on  in  an  un 
faltering  voice  while  in  the  dim  light  the  sensitive 
color  that  mantled  cheek  and  brow  was  unnoticed, 
"  that  they  are  not  coming  here  as  invited  guests,  but 
simply  as  boarders,  and  if  they  feel  and  show  some 
thing  of  their  social  superiority,  we  mustn't  resent  it 
or  take  it  to  heart." 

"  No." 

"  I  used  to  know  and  love  Lois  dearly.  But  that 
was  years  ago,  and  she  's  a  fashionable  young  lady 


"  That  Old  House  of  Yours  "       263 

now,  and  of  course  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  she 
will  remember  our  childish  friendship  as  I  do." 

What  a  sensible,  prudent,  matter-of-fact  view,  to  be 
sure.  But  as  Comfort  laid  her  head  upon  its  pillow 
that  night  the  memory  of  her  old  playmate  brought 
the  tender  tears  to  her  eyes,  and  a  smile  to  her  lips 
as  she  recalled  a  line  of  Miss  Delphine's  letter: 

"  We  all,  and  Lois  especially,  long  for  a  sight  of  the 
dear  old  farmhouse  and  its  dearer  little  mistress." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

"I   TELL   YOU   LOVE   HAS   NAUGHT  TO   DO   WITH 
MEETNESS    OR   UNMEETNESS  " 

EVERYTHING  was  ready,  and  to-day  the  guests 
were  to  arrive.  What  a  blessed  thing  it  had 
proved  that  Squire  Hadlock,  instead  of  following  the 
neighborhood  fashion  of  small  houses  and  big  barns, 
had  consulted  his  own  individual  tastes  and  conven 
iences  in  the  rearing  of  the  comfortable  old  farm 
house,  with  its  high,  airy  rooms,  every  one  of  which 
had  its  full  share  of  sunshine  and  of  the  bracing  sea 
breezes;  quaint  and  many  cornered,  like  his  own 
rough,  angular  nature,  with  the  same  capabilities  of 
ornamentation  and  engrafted  graces  that  the  man  in 
his  proud  self-sufficiency  had  scorned  to  avail  himself 
of,  but  which  in  this,  the  unresisting  work  of  his 
hands,  had  been  taken  advantage  of  by  Comfort's 
dextrous  fingers,  so  that  the  neat,  well-ordered  rooms 
had  blossomed  into  a  beauty  and  brightness  that 
surprised  even  herself  when  the  work  was  fairly 
completed. 

Over  Lois's  room  she  had  lingered  longest,  and 
upon  it  she  had  bestowed  a  hundred  loving  atten 
tions  and  dainty  touches.  The  room  had  been 
chosen  not  only  for  its  size  and  sightliness,  but  for 
a  certain  grace  and  fitness  in  its  furnishings  that  no 
other  apartment  however  pleasant  could  boast.  The 


"I  Tell  You  Love  Has  Naught  to  Do"   265 

wall  paper  was  bright  with  the  pale  pink  tint  of 
clambering  wild-roses,  that  matched  well  the  full 
muslin  curtains  looped  back  with  pink  ribbon,  and 
the  pretty  painted  furniture  and  toilet  set  all  of  the 
same  hue  and  pattern. 

It  was  late  for  wild-roses,  but  Granny's  climbing 
rose  was  in  full  bloom,  and  of  these  the  girls  gath 
ered  handfuls,  filling  every  vase  and  pitcher  with 
their  creamy  blooms  until  the  whole  house  smelled 
like  a  rose  garden.  Roses  everywhere,  in  chambers, 
parlor,  and  hall,  "the  queen  of  flowers,  —  a  fitting 
welcome  to  the  queen  of  hearts,"  whispered  Comfort 
with  a  shy  little  laugh,  all  for  her  own  benefit  (she 
had  long  ago  learned  the  wisdom  of  keeping  her 
foolish  little  fancies  to  herself).  They  seemed 
strained  and  affected  to  other  ears,  as  she  well  knew. 
She  thought,  too,  of  Tabby's  story,  and  recalled  the 
memory  of  her  first  meeting  with  Lois  in  the  catnip 
patch.  So  she  brought  from  among  the  old  dame's 
tenderly  cherished  stores  a  cup  of  painted  china, 
quaint  and  grotesque  in  its  rude  adornment  and 
coloring,  but  highly  prized  by  Granny  in  her  life 
time,  as  a  relic  of  her  girlhood's  home,  and  filling 
this  with  the  purple,  spice-breathed  catmint,  she 
placed  it  by  itself  upon  an  unoccupied  bracket  in 
a  corner  of  the  girl's  room. 

"  Granny,  the  bees,  and  —  Franz  !  I  wonder  if  she 
will  read  the  riddle." 

And  she  tried  to  recall  the  pretty,  wilful,  yet  affec 
tionate  child  as  she  had  last  seen  her,  wondering 
meanwhile  with  a  secret  fear  that  she  could  not 
shake  off,  if  all  these  years  of  luxurious  ease  and 


266  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

fashionable  dissipation  had  changed  the  old  play 
mate  that  she  had  loved  so  fondly,  past  recognition. 

"  I  shall  understand  from  the  very  first  word  and 
look,  even,  what  we  are  to  be  to  each  other,"  she  said 
to  herself.  At  that  moment  the  signal-whistle  of  the 
boat  sounded  in  her  ears,  warning  her  that  the  meet 
ing  she  so  dreaded  and  at  the  same  time  longed  for 
was  at  hand. 

Mandy  was  bustling  about,  hurrying  up  the  dinner, 
and  after  putting  a  few  finishing  touches  to  the  table, 
Comfort,  too  nervous  to  stay  indoors,  betook  herself 
to  the  foot  of  the  lane  where,  under  the  shade  of  the 
two  great  elms  that  had  from  time  immemorial  stood 
sentinel  upon  either  side  of  the  gateway,  she  watched 
with  wildly  beating  heart  the  approach  of  the  ex 
pected  coach.  There  it  was,  —  she  could  catch  the 
glitter  of  the  horses'  head-gear  before  she  could  make 
out  the  carriage  itself,  —  and  they  were  driving  more 
slowly  than  usual,  on  Mrs.  Humbre's  account  prob 
ably.  Was  it,  could  it  be  Mr.  Humbre  on  the  seat 
with  the  driver,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand,  and 
looking  so  earnestly  in  her  direction?  And  that  little 
gloved  hand  waving  from  the  window,  as  the  coach 
swept  up  to  the  door,  and  a  face,  bright,  eager,  with 
tremulous  lips,  and  cheeks  flushed  rosy  red  with  joy 
ful  recognition: 

"  Comfort !  dear,  blessed  little  Comfort !  " 

Fairly  speechless  with  mingled  emotions  of  joy 
and  wonder,  Comfort  felt  herself  clasped  in  a  pair  of 
loving  arms,  while  a  shower  of  tender  kisses  fell  upon 
cheeks,  lips,  and  brow. 

"  Why  have  n't  you  grown  in  all  these  years,  you 


"I  Tell  You  Love  Has  Naught  to  Do"    267 

lazy  little  beach  pea? "  And  both  girls  laughed 
through  happy  tears  at  the  remembrance  of  this 
old-time  pet  name  that  Lois  had  not  in  all  these  years 
forgotten.  "  Only  see,"  and  she  put  one  arm  about 
the  slight  figure  and  drew  her  closer  to  her  side, 
while  her  dark  eyes  danced  with  mingled  joy  and 
fun, — "What  a  wee  thing  it  is, — only  up  to  my 
shoulders !  "  with  a  final  hug  that  said  more  than  any 
spoken  words  of  endearment  could  have  done. 

"Come,  come,  Lois!  Don't  be  so  silly, — don't 
you  see  that  I  am  almost  fainting  in  this  close  car 
riage?  I  shall  be  glad  to  get  to  my  room  as  soon  as 
possible,  when  your  raptures  are  over." 

The  sharp,  querulous  tones,  familiar  though  sharp 
ened  by  time  and  habit,  recalled  Comfort  to  a  sense 
of  her  duties  as  hostess,  and  with  a  guilty  blush  and 
murmured  word  of  regret,  she  hastened  to  welcome 
her  other  guests,  —  Mrs.  Humbre  languidly  touching 
her  proffered  hand  with  the  tips  of  her  nerveless 
fingers,  while  Miss  Delphine  gave  her  a  friendly  kiss, 
and  Robert,  holding  for  an  instant  her  trembling 
hand  in  his  own,  looked  searchingly,  she  could 
almost  fancy  admiringly,  into  her  glowing  face. 

"  Time  has  dealt  more  kindly  with  you  than  with 
us,"  he  said,  with  the  old  gentle  courtesy.  But  there 
was  a  note  of  pain  in  the  pleasantly  spoken  words, 
that  Comfort,  sadly  conscious  of  that  empty  sleeve, 
understood  in  part  at  least. 

Mrs.  Humbre  deigned  to  express  her  approval  of 
the  cool,  airy,  daintily  appointed  chamber  that  had 
been  assigned  her,  and  when  Miss  Delphine  came 
down  to  dinner,  leaving  her  comfortably  asleep,  she 


268  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

threw  herself  into  the  wide-armed  old  rocking-chair 
by  the  open  window,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  that  told 
its  own  story  of  the  weary,  thankless  thraldom  that 
had  been  her  portion  for  the  last  three  years. 

"  You  've  no  idea,  Comfort,"  she  said,  with  a  smile 
of  unfeigned  satisfaction,  and  dropping  all  at  once 
into  the  easy  familiarity  of  other  days,  "  what  a  rest 
and  satisfaction  it  is  to  have  such  a  pleasant,  quiet, 
homey  home  to  bring  my  mother  to  for  the  summer. 
We  've  travelled  round  from  pillar  to  post  ever  since 
she  was  able  to  be  moved,  because  she  would  not 
come  home.  She  wanted  Lois  to  go  everywhere,  and 
she  would  n't  hear  a  word  of  our  leaving  Europe  so 
long  as  the  girl  was  sought  after  and  admired.  Now 
that  Robert  has  put  his  foot  down  and  insisted  upon 
our  coming  home,  I  really  think  that  she  is  going  to 
be  better  contented  here  than  she  has  been  anywhere 
for  a  long  time;  and  I  hope  it  will  do  her  good, — 
I  know  it  will  me." 

She  tried  to  laugh,  but  Comfort  noted  with  pain 
the  sad  lines  of  patient  endurance  that  had  deepened 
about  the  once  firm  mouth,  and  the  whitened  hairs 
that  had  crept  prematurely  into  the  dark,  heavy 
locks  that  had  been  their  owner's  one  pride  in  the 
old  days. 

Lois,  with  her  travelling  dress  hastily  exchanged 
for  a  cool  white  wrapper,  was  flitting  in  and  out  like 
a  domesticated  butterfly,  merrily  bantering  the  shyly 
delighted  Mandy,  feeding  the  little  yellow  chicks  in 
the  coop  outside  with  crumbs  from  the  table,  and 
leaving  an  offering  by  Miss  Delphine's  plate  in  the 
shape  of  a  crimped  tansy  leaf  with  a  globe  of  dull 


"I  Tell  You  Love  Has  Naught  to  Do"   269 

gold  in  its  bosom,  and  now  and  then  bursting  into  a 
stray  fragment  of  song,  as  blithe  and  effortless  as  the 
carol  of  a  robin. 

"Lois  is  half  wild,  I  do  believe,"  laughed  Miss 
Delphine.  "  The  poor  child  is  tired  to  death  of  the 
hedged -in,  conventional  life  she  has  lived  for  the  last 
few  years.  Yes,"  in  reply  to  Comfort's  wondering 
comment,  "  yes,  she  has  been  greatly  admired,  and 
has  lived  in  a  constant  whirl  of  pleasures  ever  since 
she  left  school.  But  don't  you  know,"  lowering  her 
voice  unconsciously,  evidently  from  force  of  habit, 
as  if  this  bit  of  social  heresy  was  something  to  be 
spoken  in  an  aside,  "  that  people  with  brains  and 
heart  are  apt  to  get  dreadfully  tired  of  the  inevitable 
monotony  of  such  an  existence?  There  is  plenty  of 
outside  show  and  glitter,  but  smooth  words  and  smiles, 
and  stale  compliments  come  in  time  to  pall  upon 
one,  like  a  diet  of  ice-cream  and  cake.  In  fashion 
able  life  people  seek  for  novelties  as  for  hid  treasure, 
and  happy  the  lucky  she  who  finds  one,  —  she  calls 
together  her  friends,  her  kinsmen,  and  her  neighbors, 
to  rejoice  with  her,  and  make  the  most  of  it  before  it 
melts  into  the  dull,  flat  ditch-water  of  common  usage." 

Comfort  laughed.  Miss  Delphine  was  the  same 
shrewd,  crisp,  quaint-spoken  body  that  she  had  ever 
been,  and  even  Lois's  merry  affectionateness  seemed 
less  a  part  of  old-time  memories  than  these  character 
istic  bits  of  unworldly  wisdom  that  came  so  naturally 
from  her  lips. 

"  Did  General  Humbre,  your  brother,  —  travel 
with  you  after  the  war  was  over?" 

"Yes,  he  was  with  us  most  of  the  time,  —  all  of 


270  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

the  time,  in  fact,  after  mother's  last  attack.  You 
know,  I  suppose,"  and  a  spasm  of  pain  passed  over 
her  face,  "  that  he  lost  his  right  arm  in  the  war  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  knew  it." 

As  by  a  common  impulse  the  two  women  looked 
questioningly  into  each  other's  faces. 

"  But  you  did  not  know  perhaps  that  he  has  been 
learning  to  use  his  brush  and  pencil  with  his  left 
hand?  Most  men,"  continued  Miss  Delphine,  a 
proud  flush  rising  to  her  dark  cheek  as  she  spoke, 
"  would  have  thought  their  life-work  in  that  line 
finished,  but  Robert  is  made  of  firmer  stuff.  And  for 
my  part,  I  look  upon  his  patient  persistence  in  the 
work  that  God  meant  him  to  do,  in  the  face  of  such 
a  terrible  disability,  as  more  heroic  than  the  charge 
in  which  he  led  his  men  to  victory,  and  gave  his 
right  arm  for  the  cause  that  he  loved." 

A  few  natural  tears  dropped  upon  the  speaker's 
clasped  hands,  and  blurred  her  vision  so  that  she 
failed  to  see  the  answering  fire  in  her  listener's 
downcast  eyes.  Robert  was  her's  here,  her's  alone, 
—  and  why  should  any  other  woman  feel  her  soul 
kindle  at  his  praises?  That  night  as  the  two  girls 
sat  alone  in  Lois's  chamber,  Comfort  ventured  for  the 
first  time  to  speak  the  name  that  had  been  upper 
most  in  her  thoughts  all  day  long.  Lois  had,  with 
out  any  comment,  removed  Granny's  cup  of  purple 
blooms  from  the  dusky  corner  where  it  had  been 
placed,  and  as  she  sat  before  the  glass,  brushing  out 
the  soft  waves  of  her  beautiful  hair,  her  eyes  rested 
oftener  upon  the  modest,  homely  blossoms  than  upon 
the  fair  reflection  opposite. 


"I  Tell  You  Love  Has  Naught  to  Do"   271 

"What  about  Franz  Hedvig?  You  saw  him  in 
Germany?  " 

Comfort's  voice  faltered  a  little  as  she  put  the 
question,  and  Lois  turned  upon  her  with  a  sharpness 
that  astonished,  and  for  the  moment  somewhat  dis 
concerted  her. 

"  And  what  if  I  did?  What  is  he  to  you?  Did  he 
tell  you  that  —  that  he  met  us  there?  " 

The  words  came  tumbling  one  over  the  other  so 
exactly  as  they  used  to  do  in  the  mouth  of  the  child 
Lois,  when  angry  or  excited,  that  Comfort,  after  the 
first  moment  of  embarrassment,  laughed  outright. 

"  One  question  at  a  time,  —  do  you  remember  how 
Miss  Delphine  used  to  say  that  to  you?  What  is 
Franz  to  me?  You  know,  as  well  as  I,  that  he  is  my 
old  friend  and  playfellow,  —  as  dear  almost  as  a 
brother;  and  for  his  dear  old  Granny's  sake  as  well 
as  his  own,  I  have  kept  up  a  friendly  correspondence 
with  him  all  these  years.  He  mentioned  once  or 
twice  meeting  your  party  in  Germany.  Will  that 
do?" 

There  was  an  arch  significance  in  the  words  and 
the  smile  that  accompanied  them  that  made  Lois 
turn  hastily  away  to  hide  the  blushes  that,  in  spite  of 
her,  betrayed  the  secret  of  her  love  for  the  young 
engineer. 

"  Is  that  all  he  told  you?"  she  asked,  trying  to 
speak  indifferently,  as  she  made  a  feint  of  gathering 
up  her  long  hair  into  the  silken  net  that  was  to  con 
fine  it. 

"  What  was  there  more  for  him  to  tell?  " 

The  girl's  tell-tale  blushes,  no  less  than   her  un- 


272  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

called-for  display  of  feminine  jealousy,  had  betrayed 
her  secret,  and  Comfort's  friendly  heart  was  lightened 
as  to  Franz's  possibly  hopeless  attachment.  She 
could  afford  to  be  a  bit  mischievous  and  oblige  her 
companion  to  take  the  initiative  in  the  forthcoming 
confidence. 

"  Oh,  nothing !  I  did  n't  know  but  he  might  have 
spoken  of  those  excursions  that  we  made  up  the 
Rhine,  —  they  were  just  lovely.  I  used  to  tell  Franz 

—  Mr.  Hedvig  —  that  they  were  like  what  the  Hud 
son  would  be  five  hundred  years  hence.     It  will  take 
all  that  time  to  get  the  newness  worn  off,  and  mellow 
the  picture  down  as  it  should  be.     Oh,  you  need  n't 
look  so  knowing,"  with  a  playful  nip  at  her  friend's 
ear,  "  Cousin  Del  always  went  with  us,  and  Robert 
usually  made  one  of  the  party.     Do  you  know,"  with 
a  little  undertone  of  triumph,  "  that  Robert  has  the 
highest  respect  for,  and  confidence  in  —  him?  " 

"  But  what  did  Mrs.  Humbre  say?  " 

Lois's  bright  face  clouded,  and  her  eyes  had  a 
dangerous  gleam  in  them,  as  she  said  in  a  half 
whisper: 

"  She  said  everything  that  was  hateful  and  unjust, 

—  called   Franz  a  low-born  adventurer,  and    me  an 
ungrateful    fool.       O    Comfort !  "     and    the    girlish 
bosom  heaved  convulsively  with  mingled  grief  and 
passion,  "  you   don't  know  what  I  've  suffered  from 
that  woman.     She  brought  me  up  with  the  idea  that 
I  was  a  rich  girl,  and  that  I  must  marry  money,  and 
a  title  if  I  could,  —  let  me  despise  the  man  ever  so 
much.     I  did  n't  care  much  about  it  anyway,  at  first, 
for  I  liked  to  be  admired  and  flattered,  and  have  a 


"I  Tell  You  Love  Has  Naught  to  Do"    273 

good  time  without  any  worry  for  the  morrow.  But 
when  I  came  to  know  and  —  like  Franz,  I  just  hated 
the  thought  of  marrying  any  one  but  him ;  I  told 
her  so,  and  that  it  was  no  use  to  try  to  coax  me  into 
giving  any  encouragement  to  that  little  smirking 
French  count  that  had  followed  us  from  Paris,  and 
that  she  was  bound  I  should  have.  Then  she  told 
me  that  I  had  been  all  these  years  a  dependent  upon 
her  bounty,  and  that  I  was  under  obligations  to  do  as 
she  wished  in  such  an  important  matter.  And  I  was 
that  wild  with  shame  and  rage  that  I  really  believe 
that  if  it  had  n't  been  for  Cousin  Del  I  should  have 
left  her  then  and  there,  and  married  Franz,  although 
I  know  I  should  be  nothing  but  a  helpless  burden 
upon  the  poor  fellow,  for  she  took  care  to  bring  me 
up  so  that  I  have  n't  a  single  gift  that  I  could  make 
myself  useful  with." 

It  was  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world  for 
Comfort  to  take  the  pretty  creature  in  her  arms,  and 
kiss  the  tears  from  her  hot  cheeks,  with  murmured 
words  of  tender  soothing. 

"  If  Franz  has  no  money,  he  is  rich  in  youth  and 
health  and  manly  courage.  And,  Lois,"  with  a 
sudden  thought  that  almost  took  away  her  breath, 
"  he  may  be  rich  in  money,  too.  I  don't  mean  a 
millionaire,  but  with  enough  to  push  that  invention 
that  is  sure  to  make  his  fortune,  if  he  can  only  get 
the  means  to  introduce  it." 

Lois  pushed  back  the  damp  rings  from  her  flushed 
forehead,  and  looked  eagerly  into  her  friend's  face. 

"  What  —  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

Then  as  Comfort  spoke  of  the  land  of  which  he 

iS 


274  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

held  the  deed,  and  the  reported  rise  of  real  estate  in 
that  neighborhood,  she  clapped  her  hands  delight 
edly. 

"  I  '11  write  him  this  very  night,"  she  cried,  "  and 
tell  him  to  come  right  home  and  see  about  it.  To 
think,  Comfort,  that  your  little  speculation  on  his 
account  may  be  the  means  of  making  his  fortune. 
But  you  've  been  his  good  angel  always,  and  should 
have  been  his  love." 

There  was  a  wistful  tenderness  in  the  concluding 
words,  and  as  she  bent  for  her  good-night  kiss,  Com 
fort  felt  the  grateful  tears  upon  her  cheek,  and  her 
heart  thrilled  at  the  significant  whisper: 

"  I  hope  you  '11  be  as  happy  yourself  some  day  as 
you  Ve  made  me." 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

"WITH   MARSHAL  CAROUZER   AND   OLD 
LADY  MOUZER  " 

MISS  Delphine's  hopeful  prediction  in  regard  to 
the  improvement  in  her  mother's  health  seemed 
to  be  in  a  fair  way  of  being  fulfilled,  for  after  a  rest 
of  a  few  days,  Mrs.  Humbre  declared  herself  so  much 
better  that  she  was  able  to  be  helped  down  stairs, 
and  on  sunny  days  to  have  her  invalid's  chair  brought 
out  upon  the  wide,  vine-shaded  piazza,  where,  with 
Miss  Delphine  and  Lois  to  read  to  her,  Comfort 
to  bathe  her  head  with  fragrant  waters  or  chafe  her 
always  cold  hands  between  her  own  warm,  moist 
palms,  and  Robert  to  talk  to,  she  was  tolerably  com 
fortable  and  contented.  Her  former  experience  of 
the  loneliness  of  the  place  had  scarcely  prepared 
her  for  the  congenial  society  that  she  soon  found 
herself  a  centre  of.  Fashionable  friends  who  had 
half  forgotten  her  existence  during  her  long  stay 
abroad  were  only  too  glad  to  renew  their  acquain 
tance  at  this  time  and  place,  and  scarcely  a  day 
passed  that  the  interesting  invalid,  in  the  daintiest 
of  embroidered  wrappers,  with  rose-colored  knots 
of  ribbon  judiciously  disposed  to  lend,  if  possible,  a 
bit  of  color  to  her  faded  cheek,  did  not  hold  an  in 
formal  reception,  usually  upon  the  piazza,  where 
the  flickering  shadows  of  the  vine  leaves  playing 


276  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

over  her  listless  figure  lent  something  of  their  airy 
grace  to  her  still  helplessness,  and  helped  not  only 
her  friends  but  herself  to  forget  for  the  time  the 
seclusion  and  pale  quiet  of  the  sick-room. 

After  a  few  days  of  stand-offishness  Mrs.  Humbre 
had  graciously  condescended  to  accept  the  situation, 
and  treat  her  young  hostess  with  the  same  friendly 
familiarity  as  did  her  daughter  and  Lois,  while  the 
modest  unobtrusiveness  of  Comfort  herself,  who 
had  not  the  slightest  desire  to  force  herself  upon 
the  notice  of  these  stately  dames  and  chattering 
damsels,  relieved  her  from  any  embarrassing  possi 
bilities  in  the  way  of  introduction,  etc. 

Lois,  to  be  sure,  took  special  pains  to  impress 
upon  her  young  lady  friends  the  desirability  of  an 
acquaintance  with  this,  her  "first  love,"  as  she  play 
fully  called  her,  and  Comfort,  ever  gentle  and  tol 
erant  of  others,  listened  with  girlish  curiosity  to  their 
reminiscences  of  where  they  had  been  and  what  they 
had  seen,  finding  as  the  novelty  wore  off,  and 
her  ears  ceased  to  be  charmed  by  the  names  of 
people  and  places  that  awoke  a  crowd  of  interesting 
memories  in  her  mind,  that  by  a  very  little  stretch 
of  the  imagination  she  might  easily  fancy  herself 
listening  to  a  knot  of  her  rustic  girl  neighbors,  com 
paring  notes  on  their  way  home  from  a  spelling  bee 
or  singing  school.  It  was  like  the  game  of  "  what 
he  said,  and  what  she  said,  and  what  the  world  said  " 
played  over  and  over,  with  so  little  variety  that  the 
listener  secretly  wondered  how  they  could  keep  it 
up  indefinitely.  To  be  sure  there  was  this  consola 
tion  that  each  had  her  own  way  of  telling  the  same 


"  With  Marshal  Carouzer  "         277 

story,  thus  making  something  like  variety  in  the 
perpetual  round  of  uninteresting  gossip.  One  young 
lady  especially  had  a  wonderful  gift  of  forgetting  the 
names  of  the  persons  and  places  that  she  was  talk 
ing  about,  and  the  foreign  gossip  that  made  up  the 
principal  part  of  her  conversation  ran  something 
after  this  fashion : 

"  O,  Lois,  you  remember  that  General,  what-d'ye- 
call-'im,  —  the  tall  Russian  that  we  met  at  —  where 
was  it  —  that  pleasant  little  place  in  France  —  or 
was  it  in  Italy?  (I  never  can  remember  names  of 
places)  but  at  any  rate,  he  had  the  fiercest  eyes  — 
you  remember  him  ?  He  sat  at  the  table  with  the  — 
what  was  the  name  of  that  English  family  with  the 
three  daughters, — that  awful  homely  family?" 

"Johnson?"  suggested  Lois  at  random. 

"Yes,  Johnson,  that's  the  name.  Well,  after  you 
came  away,  he  was  challenged  by  the  brother  of  that 
Miss  —  I  can't  think  of  her  name,  but  she  always 
wore  pink  morning  gowns,  to  give  her  some  color, 
I  suppose,  for  she  was  frightfully  sallow,  —  you  know 
who  I  mean,  her  father  was  connected  some  way 
with  western  railroads,  had  made  a  fortune  in  that 
line?" 

"  Miss  Barham." 

"The  very  one.  Well,  one  of  her  brothers  chal 
lenged  him,  because  he  boasted  at  his  club  that  he  'd 
have  a  finger  in  the  old  gentleman's  pocket  before  he 
was  many  months  older.  And  this  brother,  —  was 
it  Tom  or  Dick,  I  can't  think  which  they  called 
him,  — 

"Augustus,"  laughed  Lois. 


278  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  So  it  was.  I  don't  wonder  you  laugh,  I  've 
such  a  wretched  memory.  But  as  I  said,  the  offi 
cer  and  young  Barham  had  a  meeting  outside  the 
city  walls  with  pistols  and  coffee  for  two,  you  know. 
But  the  police  got  wind  of  it  and  arrested  them 
both,  and  they  had  to  swear  to  keep  the  peace. 
And  when  we  came  away,  I  had  it  from  good 
authority,  that  Miss  Barham  had  ordered  her  trous 
seau  of  Worth." 

If  tame,  such  gossip  was  certainly  harmless,  but 
Comfort's  cheeks  burned  and  all  the  honest  woman 
liness  of  her  nature  rose  indignantly  at  the  spiteful 
aspersions  and  hints  that  formed  the  staple  of  some 
of  the  elder  dames'  conversation,  as  they  strove  in 
their  own  way  to  cheer  and  enliven  the  invalid. 
Nobody  was  quite  right,  —  there  was  an  "  out "  in 
every  character,  no  matter  how  correct  the  outer  life 
might  be.  The  mothers  of  marriageable  daughters 
were  invariably  "manceuvering"  for  a  rich  son-in-law. 
The  girls  themselves  were  either  "  shameless  fortune 
hunters  "  or  "  outrageous  flirts,"  while  the  very  worst 
construction  was  put  upon  every  little  mistake  or 
blunder  if  there  was  even  the  shadow  of  a  mystery 
about  it.  One  rich  maiden  lady,  whose  tongue  was 
as  long  as  her  purse,  spent  much  of  her  leisure  in 
"  cheering  up  poor,  dear  Mrs.  Humbre,"  and  Com 
fort  listened  astounded  to  the  impertinent  questions 
and  comments  of  this  so-called  lady. 

She  "  had  heard  that  Delphine  was  preparing  some 
scientific  papers  for  a  leading  magazine,  —  was  that 
so  ?  and  if  so,  how  much  did  she  expect  to  be  paid  for 
them?  Did  she  support  herself  by  her  writing,  or  did 


"  With  Marshal  Carouzer  "         279 

everything  have  to  come  out  of  poor  Mrs.  Humbre's 
own  income?  It  was  such  a  pity  that  she  couldn't 
have  married  some  foreign  professor,  —  everybody 
hoped  she  would  when  she  went  away,  —  there  was 
so  little  chance  for  a  woman  of  her  age,  and  a  blue 
stocking  at  that,  —  the  men  fought  shy  of  that  kind. 
And  was  it  true  that  Lois  refused  a  French  count 
because  she  was  in  love  with  that  Swedish  engineer? 
And  (she  had  heard,  but  did  n't  really  believe  it,)  that 
she  (Mrs.  Humbre)  had  actually  threatened  to  turn 
the  girl  into  the  street  if  she  did  n't  give  up  Hedvig? 
Was  Robert  making  anything  with  his  pictures  now 
that  he  could  only  paint  with  his  left  hand?  She 
had  heard  that  it  was  understood  among  his  brother 
artists  that  he  never  would  be  able  to  do  much  in 
that  line,  and  would  n't  it  be  wiser,  while  his  war 
record  was  fresh  in  men's  minds,  to  apply  for  some 
kind  of  a  place  under  government?  He  might  get 
a  very  respectable  salary,  —  enough  at  any  rate  for 
a  single  man  to  live  on." 

And  so  on  and  on,  until  the  conventional  smile 
upon  poor  Mrs.  Humbre's  face  seemed  frozen  there, 
and  Comfort  could  scarce  resist  the  temptation  to 
turn  the  insolent  tale-bearer  from  her  door  without 
further  ceremony.  How  strange  that  Mrs.  Humbre, 
to  whom  her  almost  daily  visits  were  a  continual  tor 
ture,  should  receive  her  with  smiling  cordiality,  and 
upon  her  departure  urge  her  to  renew  the  visit.  Did 
that  elegant  cottage  with  its  rich  furnishings,  where 
the  most  delightful  musicales  and  "  pink  teas  "  re 
galed  the  outer  and  inner  man  after  the  most  ap 
proved  fashion,  make  palatable  the  bitter  morsels 


280  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

that  the  mistress  of  the  mansion  forced  her  ill-fated 
friends  (?)  to  swallow  upon  occasion?  It  must  be  so, 
for  Mrs.  Humbre  was  never  weary  of  expatiating  upon 
the  elegance  and  costliness  of  Miss 's  establish 
ment,  or  her  thoughtful  kindness  in  inviting  her  for  a 
day's  visit,  although  the  poor  soul  kept  her  bed  for  a 
whole  week  afterwards. 

But  this  was  only  one  side  of  the  picture.  Frivol 
ity  and  vulgar  pride  did  not  have  it  all  their  own 
way  in  this  bit  of  Vanity  Fair,  —  these  rose  like  foam 
to  the  surface  of  society,  and  the  casual  on-looker 
might  not  penetrate  to  the  still,  deep,  pure  waters 
beneath.  Less  numerous,  less  showy,  and  far  less 
assuming,  they  came,  once  and  in  most  cases  again 
and  again,  the  friends  of  Robert  Humbre  and  his 
sister,  quiet,  thoughtful  men  and  women,  simple 
hearted  as  children  out  for  a  holiday,  whose  eyes 
and  hearts  rejoiced  at  the  beauty  and  grandeur  about 
them,  and  who  drew  inspiration  from  every  simple 
wayside  flower  as  gratefully  as  from  the  mighty 
ocean  or  the  cloud-wreathed  granite  peaks  reflected 
on  its  broad  bosom.  Artists,  poets,  students,  and 
lovers  of  Nature  in  all  her  varying  shapes  and 
moods,  souls  so  uplifted  beyond  the  petty  aims 
and  rivalries  of  the  little  world  that  danced  and 
flirted,  or  lounged  and  yawned  about  them,  that  they 
dwelt,  as  it  were,  apart  in  an  atmosphere  of  their 
own,  —  cool,  healthful,  and  invigorating  to  body  and 
soul.  There  were  names  among  them  that  the  island 
maid  had  for  years  regarded  with  reverential  awe,  as 
of  beings  too  far  removed  from  the  dull  homeliness 
of  everyday  life  to  be  approached  with  any  familiar- 


"  With  Marshal  Carouzer  "         281 

ity  by  ordinary  mortals,  but  rather  as  devotees  ap 
proaching  a  shrine.  Now  she  wondered  to  find  them 
the  simplest  hearted,  most  modest  and  approachable 
of  mortals,  with  aims  and  ambitions  so  lofty  that  their 
own  littleness  beside  the  giant  intellects  that  they  must 
needs  worship  afar  off,  taught  them  that  they  must 
tread  softly  and  humbly  in  the  footsteps  of  the  great 
masters  that  had  gone  before. 

Mrs.  Humbre,  poor,  tired,  harassed  soul,  spent 
many  a  restful  hour  listening  to  the  easy  chat,  never 
by  any  chance  stilted  or  pragmatical,  with  which 
some  learned  professor  or  gifted  author  whom  Robert 
had  brought  in  to  see  her  contrived  to  fill  rather 
than  fritter  away  the  idle  interim  between  breakfast 
and  the  noon  lunch.  Now,  indeed,  Comfort  listened, 
whenever  she  could  snatch  a  half  hour  of  leisure,  to 
conversation  that  neither  humiliated  nor  jarred  upon 
her  womanly  sensibilities,  and  if  in  her  heart  she 
shared  the  pride  with  which  the  mother  and  sister  of 
Robert  Humbre  saw  the  respect  and  unfeigned 
friendliness  with  which  these  honored  him,  nobody 
was  any  the  wiser  for  it. 

It  was  no  light  task,  as  she  had  foreseen,  to  pro 
vide  acceptably  for  these  unconsciously  critical 
guests,  and  as  the  morning  always  found  her  busied 
with  household  duties,  it  soon  came  to  be  an  under 
stood  thing  that,  after  his  daily  call  upon  his  mother, 
Robert  should  find  some  excuse  for  a  visit  to  the 
kitchen  to  pass  a  pleasant  hour  in  the  company  of 
its  bright,  cheery  little  mistress,  —  gravely  insisting 
upon  his  right  to  make  himself  useful  by  picking 
over  berries  or  shelling  the  peas  for  dinner,  —  a  feat 


282  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

that  Mandy,  ever  mindful  of  his  missing  hand,  viewed 
with  curious,  wondering  eyes. 

Miss  Delphine,  busy  with  her  pen,  smiled,  well 
pleased  at  the  echo  of  a  laugh  so  blithe  and  hearty 
that  it  seemed  to  bring  the  boy  Robert  back  to  her, 
while  Lois  joyfully  declared  that  "  Cousin  Robert 
was  actually  himself  again." 

Comfort,  with  that  instinctive  delicacy  that  never 
seemed  to  take  note  of  anything  different  in  his  con 
dition  from  that  of  other  men,  had  all  unconsciously 
applied  the  most  soothing  balm  to  his  irritated  feel 
ings  that  could  have  been  found. 

To  a  man  of  his  temperament,  proud  of  his  phy 
sical  manliness  and  conscious  of  the  powers  with 
which  Nature  had  endowed  him,  the  pity  that  he  had 
been  forced  to  endure  had  been  the  bitterest  trial 
that  had  fallen  to  him.  With  a  morbid  sensitiveness 
he  had  shrunk  from  the  curious  or  sympathetic  eyes 
that  always  seemed  to  spy  at  a  glance  that  empty 
sleeve,  and  to  ask  mutely  the  oft-repeated  question: 
"  How  and  where  did  you  lose  it?  " 

Even  the  tender  sympathy,  the  thousand  and  one 
little  unconscious  reminders  in  the  way  of  unwonted 
services  and  womanly  tendance  that  his  sister  and 
Lois  bestowed  upon  him,  annoyed  and  humiliated 
him.  But  Comfort  had  never  from  the  first  seemed 
to  even  notice  it.  His  proffered  services  were  never 
refused,  and  after  a  time  merrily  claimed,  with  a  gay 
effrontery  as  free  and  unembarrassed  as  that  of  Lois, 
who,  by  the  way,  had  taken  upon  herself  the  airs  of  a 
full-fledged  housekeeper,  haunting  the  kitchen  and 
pantry,  and  gravely  insisting  that  nobody  in  the 


"  With  Marshal  Carouzer  "         283 

house  but  herself  could  compound  a  salad  or  froth  a 
custard  properly. 

It  was  a  little  bewildering  sometimes  to  have  so 
many  cooks  with  spoons  in  the  broth,  and  Mandy 
now  and  then  secretly  rebelled,  declaring  that  "  so 
much  clatter  and  gabble  was  enough  to  drive  a 
body's  wits  to  the  seven  winds  of  heaven,"  and 
solemnly  predicting  that,  on  some  unlucky  day  not 
far  distant  they  would  probably  find  their  cucumbers 
sweetened  or  their  coffee  salted  if  this  state  of  things 
was  allowed  to  continue.  But  somehow  the  domestic 
tangles  smoothed  themselves  out  naturally  enough, 
and  Robert  and  Lois  mixed  and  meddled,  with 
plenty  of  laughter  and  fun,  and  a  careless  incon 
sequence  that  made  Comfort  at  times  shake  in  her 
shoes  for  the  success  of  her  most  important  dishes. 

The  roomy,  sweet-smelling  old  kitchen,  spotlessly 
neat  in  all  its  appointments,  was  a  "  Little  Trianon  " 
to  the  world-tired  man,  as  well  as  to  the  novelty- 
loving  girl,  and  Mrs.  Humbre  wondered  in  vain 
"what  they  could  find  in  that  hot  kitchen,  full  of  the 
fumes  of  cookery,  to  care  to  stay  in  it?"  Fumes! 
Why  the  fragrance  of  that  plump,  delicately  spiced 
loaf  as  it  came  brown  and  savory  from  the  oven  was 
enough  to  make  an  epicure's  mouth  water ;  even  the 
flies  clinging  to  the  outside  of  the  screen  door  and 
peeping  longingly  in  had  the  sense  to  know  that  it 
was  pleasanter  inside  than  out.  The  poetry  of  life  is 
not  by  any  means  confined  to  the  parlor  and  drawing- 
room,  nor  does  it  scorn  at  times  to  nestle  in  the  folds 
of  a  kitchen  apron.  Parnassus  pastured  sheep  on  its 
green  sides,  and  the  Grecian  Penelope  wove  as  in- 


284  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

dustriously  as  any  Yankee  farmer's  wife  of  ye  olden 
times. 

Very  naturally  Mrs.  Humbre  preferred  the  cool 
quiet  of  the  piazza  or  her  own  chamber,  with  the 
companionship  of  her  chosen  cronies,  whose  glowing 
reports  of  the  boatings  and  picnics,  the  "  hops  "  at 
the  hotels,  and  the  musicales  and  lawn  parties  given 
by  the  various  cottagers,  were  almost  as  good  as 
being  able  to  attend  in  person.  The  younger  people 
had  plenty  of  invitations  to  join  the  pleasure  parties 
of  all  descriptions,  and  while  Miss  Delphine  usually 
declined  on  the  plea  that  her  mother  could  not  be 
left  alone,  Robert  and  Lois  sometimes  accepted, 
although  the  latter  declared  that  "  even  watermelon 
parties  and  buckboard  rides  were  a  bore,  unless  you 
could  pick  your  company." 

Pleasantest  and  most  restful  of  all,  to  all,  were  the 
boatings  on  those  calm,  sweet  summer  evenings,  with 
Robert  at  the  helm,  and  the  three  girls  ready  by 
turns  to  assume  the  r61e  of  either  crew  or  passengers. 
Never  did  two  at  least  of  that  merry  party  forget 
those  evenings,  when  the  starry  sky  above  and  the 
placid  deep  below  were  like  a  dream  of  heaven  in 
their  majestic  loveliness,  when  the  graceful  yachts  and 
sail-boats  at  anchor  off  shore  painted  their  fluttering 
pennons  and  tapering  masts  against  a  blue-gray  back 
ground  of  lightly  curling  mists,  through  which  the  blue 
of  sky  and  ocean  was  just  discernible.  In  shore  the 
countless  lights  of  hotels  and  cottages,  like  watchful, 
unwinking  eyes,  kept  watch  and  ward  over  the  fair 
summer  city  where  Wealth  and  Fashion  had  planted 
their  gilded  gonfalon,  and  taken  possession  of  the 


"With  Marshal  Carouzer  "         285 

land  in  the  name  of  His  High  Mightiness  the  Prince 
of  this  world.  Amidst  such  scenes  and  in  such  com 
panionship  it  was  wonderful  how  one's  own  individual 
anxieties  and  cares  seemed  all  at  once  to  drop  from 
his  burdened  shoulders  into  the  friendly,  all-embrac 
ing  bosom  of  the  great  deep,  and  how  very  small  and 
insignificant  the  worries  and  annoyances  of  the  day 
became. 

Miss  Delphine  forgot  to  speculate  if  her  last  article 
would  find  acceptance  with  the  editor  of  the  magazine 
to  which,  with  much  fear  and  trembling,  she  had  sent 
it;  Lois  played  absently  with  the  modest  pearl  ring 
that  encircled  her  slender  finger,  looking  with  a 
dreamy  smile  toward  the  little  inlet  beyond  which 
the  clustering  pines  and  cedars  pointed  out  the  hid 
ing  place  of  that  low  log-built  cabin,  now  decayed 
and  deserted  by  all  but  the  creeping  vines  that  ten 
derly  hid  its  infirmities  beneath  their  own  all-embrac 
ing  loveliness. 

And  Robert  and  Comfort  Hadlock  looked  shyly 
into  each  other's  eyes,  and  read  —  what? 


CHAPTER   XXX 

"  OH,    I    SEE   THEE    OLD    AND    FORMAL,    FITTED     TO 
THY   PETTY   PART  " 

MRS.  HUMBRE  sat  alone  in  her  chamber,  and 
thought  and  thought,  trying  in  vain  to  think 
her  way  out  of  the  dilemma  that,  all  unexpectedly, 
had  arisen  to  confront  her,  and  ruffle  the  tide  of  self 
ish  self-absorption  upon  which  her  barque  had  for 
so  many  years  lazily  floated.  That  Robert,  fastidious 
and  proud  of  his  name  and  race,  a  man  of  the  world, 
admired  and  caressed  by  that  world,  with  high  artistic 
hopes  for  the  future,  should  stoop  to  share  his  name 
and  honors  with  this  little,  unknown,  untutored  rustic, 
was  gall  and  wormwood  to  the  proud  woman  whose 
hopes  had  all  centered  in  her  son  from  his  babyhood, 
—  her  pride  in  him  taking  the  place  of  that  true, 
unselfish  motherly  love  that  it  was  not  in  her  nature 
to  bestow. 

That  Comfort  was  a  sweet,  modest,  gentle-man 
nered  girl  she  freely  admitted.  Indeed,  she  had 
made  no  secret  of  her  liking  for  her,  or  of  the  pleas 
ure  and  relief  that  she  found  in  her  tender  ministra 
tions.  But  that  Robert,  her  son,  should  look  upon 
her  with  eyes  of  love,  should  pass  by  with  cold  indif 
ference  the  wealthy,  high-bred  girls  of  his  own  clique 
to  ally  himself  with  this  nameless  and  dowerless 
maiden,  was  something  too  monstrously  absurd  to 
be  even  thought  of  as  a  possibility.  But  what  could 
she  do? 


"Oh,  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal"    287 

Robert  was  not  the  man  to  be  interfered  with  or 
even  advised  in  so  delicate  a  matter  as  this, — his 
mind  made  up  no  power  on  earth  could  change  it. 
Ridicule,  argument,  entreaty  would  all  rebound 
harmlessly  from  that  nature,  true  as  steel,  and  utterly 
incapable  of  change  or  wavering.  If  he  had  even  for 
a  single  instant  shown  the  least  sign  of  being  ashamed 
of  this  infatuation  —  as  she  mentally  termed  it,  — 
there  would  have  been  some  faint  hope  that  change 
of  scene  and  absence  might  restore  him  to  his  senses. 
But  as  she  looked  backward,  she  saw  with  dismay 
that  from  the  first  he  had  sought  the  girl's  society  so 
frankly  and  openly  that  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that 
he  considered  his  love  for  her  an  honor  to  himself, 
and  if  successful  in  his  suit  would  proudly  expect  the 
congratulations  of  his  friends. 

There  was  no  side  upon  which  he  could  be  attacked 
with  any  hope  of  success,  and  Mrs.  Humbre  peevishly 
admitted  to  herself  that  she  might  as  well  make  the 
best  of  the  situation  and  pretend,  if  she  could  not 
feel,  a  motherly  interest  in  her  future  daughter-in- 
law.  Fortunately,  she  had  not  committed  herself  in 
the  least  when  her  son  had  hinted  to  her  of  his  hopes, 
and  he  had  left  her  with  the  comfortable  conviction 
that  from  her  he  had  no  opposition  to  expect.  And 
as  a  plan,  suddenly  formed,  developed  in  her  mind, 
—  a  plan  by  which,  without  exposing  herself  to 
blame,  she  might  after  all  spoil  this  untimely  romance 
and  prevent  the  impending  mesalliance,  —  her  spirits 
rose,  and  she  laughed  softly  to  herself,  while  she 
patted  complacently  the  head  of  the  sleeping  pug 
curled  up  in  her  lap. 


288  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  I  have  it !  Now,  my  pet,  we  '11  spin  a  nice  little  web, 
all  smooth  and  fine  and  silky,  —  but  the  silly  little 
fly  '11  find  it  no  easy  thing,  once  in,  to  get  out  again." 

A  step  sounded  without,  and  she  gave  the  ear  of 
the  pug  a  pinch  that  made  the  pampered  pet  set  up 
a  shrill  howl,  which  naturally  drew  the  attention  of 
Mandy,  who  was  passing  just  then. 

"  Does  he  want  his  lunch,  mum?  " 

Mandy  had  a  soft  side  toward  dogs,  and  was  per 
fectly  willing  to  cater  to  the  wants,  real  or  fancied, 
of  this  aristocratic  specimen.  Mrs.  Humbre  opened 
her  half-closed  eyes  and  looked  up  languidly  at  the 
sound  of  her  voice. 

"Ah,  is  it  you?  No,  I  think  not  yet;  he  had  a 
bad  dream,  probably;  his  digestion  has  been  bad 
lately.  But  you  may  step  to  my  daughter's  door  and 
say  that  I  would  like  to  see  her." 

"Why,  she  ain't  in,  mum,"  in  a  tone  of  surprise; 
"  you  was  on  the  piazza  yerself  when  she  went  out  to 
walk,  all  of  an  hour  ago." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  now.  But  where  is  Miss 
Lois?"  ' 

"  In  'er  room.     Shall  I  call  'er?  " 

"  No,  no,  don't  interrupt  her,  she  has  letters  to 
write  this  morning.  I  wonder,"  with  an  affectation 
of  diffidence  that  made  Mandy  eye  her  curiously,  "  if 
Miss  Comfort  could  spare  me  half  an  hour  this  morn 
ing?  I  feel  one  of  my  nervous  headaches  coming  on, 
and  if  she  would  bathe  my  head  for  a  little  I  think  it 
might  pass  off." 

"  Of  course,  to  be  sure  she  will,"  responded  the 
unsuspicious  Mandy,  who  had  long  since  learned  that 


"Oh,  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal"      289 

the  invalid's  wishes  were  the  law  of  the  household, 
and  that,  at  the  cost  of  any  inconvenience  or  self- 
sacrifice,  her  slightest  needs  must  be  attended  to  by 
all  beneath  the  same  roof. 

Now  Mrs.  Humbre  knew  just  as  well  before  as 
after  the  girl's  communication  that  her  daughter  and 
Lois  were  well  out  of  the  way,  so  that  she  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  their  inopportune  appearance 
during  the  interview  that  she  had  planned  with  Com 
fort,  but  a  crooked  way  of  doing  things  suited  her 
much  better  than  a  straightforward  one.  It  would 
not  have  been  like  her  to  say  directly,  "  My  head 
aches,  and  if  Comfort  can  spare  the  time,  I  would  be 
glad  to  have  her  bathe  it."  She  considered  herself 
a  very  sagacious  and  shrewd  woman,  and  it  had  been 
one  of  the  many  regrets  of  her  life  that  she  had  never 
been  given  the  opportunity  for  exercising  her  talents 
for  intrigue  in  some  courtly  or  diplomatic  circle.  Her 
conversation  usually  abounded  in  mysterious  hints 
and  vague  prophecies,  that  sometimes  led  the  unin 
itiated  into  the  belief  that  she  was  really  the  deposi 
tory  of  a  vast  store  of  marvellous  secrets,  that  but  for 
her  remarkable  powers  of  repression,  would  long 
before  this  have  spread  confusion  and  tumult  through 
out  the  community  of  which  she  was  the  wisely  silent 
center.  But  a  very  short  acquaintance  usually  served 
to  reveal  the  poor  lady's  shallowness,  and  on  this 
occasion  her  over-profuse  apologies  and  even  tender 
welcome  sent  a  chill  of  indefinite  apprehension  to 
Comfort's  heart. 

What  could  she  be  about  to  do  or  say?  And  the 
girl's  thoughts  flew  back,  as  if  to  gather  strength  and 

'9 


290  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

courage,  to  that  last  evening  upon  the  moonlit  sands, 
with  the  calm  summer  sea,  furrowed  as  by  countless 
shares  of  glistening  silver,  the  soft  lapping  of  the 
incoming  tide  at  their  feet,  and  above,  over  the 
highest  mountain  peak,  a  great  yellow  star,  gleaming 
with  a  friendly,  reassuring  light,  as  if  some  angelic 
watchman  upon  those  overlooking  heights  was 
swinging  his  lantern  over  the  fair  summer  city 
nestled  below,  with  the  comfortable  assurance: 
"  Ten  o'  clock !  and  all 's  well."  Never,  so  long  as 
life  and  reason  were  hers,  could  she  forget  that  hour, 
with  its  atmosphere  of  peace  and  joy,  when  with  her 
tremulous  hand  in  his  firm  clasp,  Robert  Humbre 
had  told  his  love  in  his  own  manly,  earnest,  straight 
forward  fashion,  and  prayed  her  to  be  the  comfort 
and  inspiration  of  his  life. 

"  Comfort,  little  Comfort,"  he  had  softly  repeated, 
and  there  was  a  quaver  in  the  strong  man's  voice 
that  told  that  his  soul  was  stirred  to  its  very  depths; 
"  it  seems  to  me  now,  as  I  look  backward,  that  I 
have  loved  you  from  that  very  day,  years  ago,  when, 
a  shy,  sweet-faced  child,  I  first  saw  you  at  poor 
Granny  Hedvig's  cottage.  It  was  the  pure,  womanly 
soul  in  you,  looking  out  of  those  childish  eyes,  that 
responded  all  unconsciously  to  the  unsatisfied  long 
ings  of  my  own  nature  and  drew  me  to  you,  little  as 
I  understood  it  then." 

The  girl's  eyes  were  downcast  and  her  lip  trembled, 
but,  woman-like,  she  could  not  forbear  to  toy  with 
this  wondrously  sweet  stranger,  this  love  that,  all 
unlocked  for,  had  entangled  his  wings  in  the  dull 
gray  web  of  her  everyday  life. 


"Oh,  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal"      291 

"  The  impression  could  scarcely  have  been  very 
deep,"  she  murmured,  with  a  pretense  of  playful 
incredulity,  "  when,  for  all  these  long  years,  you 
have  made  no  effort  to  see  me  again." 

But  he  was  too  much  in  earnest  to  respond  in  the 
same  strain. 

"  No,"  he  returned,  gravely,  "  you  were  for  years 
simply  a  sweet,  tender  memory,  that  somehow  never 
grew  indistinct  or  colorless.  Half  unconsciously  the 
scenes  that  here  had  charmed  me  with  their  grand, 
majestic  beauty  and  the  bright  little  maid  in  their 
midst  seemed  strangely  intermingled,  I  could  not 
think  of  them  separately.  And  in  the  often  weary 
hours  of  camp  life,  on  the  bed  of  pain  in  the  hospital, 
and  in  the  gay,  bustling  life  that  we  led  abroad,  when 
I  would  shut  my  eyes  on  it  all  and  smell  again  the 
breath  of  the  great,  free  ocean,  and  listen  to  its  never- 
ceasing  murmur,  there  always  mingled  with  them  the 
picture  of  that  soft-voiced,  tenderly  helpful  little  maid, 
whose  innocent  eyes  had  never  in  them  a  shadow  of 
guile  or  deceit.  O  Comfort,"  and  she  seemed  to  feel 
again  the  trembling  of  the  hand  that  held  her  own  in 
a  clasp  that  was  in  itself  an  appeal  from  heart  to  heart, 
"  you  who  have  been  a  comfort  and  blessing  to  others 
all  of  your  life,  will  you  come  into  my  life  and  be  the 
comfort  and  blessing  that  I  so  much  need?  " 

From  her  childhood  he  had  been  her  ideal,  her 
model  of  all  that  was  high  and  true  and  noble  in 
man,  and  that  he  should  stoop  to  her !  Why,  it  was 
as  if  that  sentinel  star  up  there  in  heaven  should 
long  to  fold  to  his  bosom  one  of  these  pale  evening 
primroses  whose  faint  perfume  the  evening  breeze 


292  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

was  bearing  to  them  at  that  moment,  and  yet,  a  love 
at  once  proud,  pure,  and  trustful  welled  up  from  her 
over-full  heart,  a  love  self-respectful,  as  became  the 
recipient  of  such  a  princely  gift. 

"  If  I  be  dear  to  someone  else,  then  should  I  be  to  myself 
more  dear." 

And  it  was  with  maidenly  pride  as  well  as  trust 
that  she  had  plighted  her  troth  to  this  man  whom 
the  great  world  without  would  account  as  so  greatly 
her  superior  in  every  way. 

And  yet,  so  far,  that  thought  had  had  no  power  to 
mar  her  happiness.  This  was  no  boy's  love,  —  the 
whim  or  fancy  of  an  hour,  forgotten  in  the  next,  — 
but  the  deep,  tender  sentiment  of  a  thoughtful,  ma 
ture  man,  who  had  found  in  her  his  soul's  mate  and 
in  her  modest,  unadorned  womanhood,  had  discerned 
the  softening,  spiritualizing  influence  that  his  grave, 
self-controlled  life  needed. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  no  prudential  considera 
tions,  no  thought  of  the  possible  opposition  of  the 
family  of  Robert  Humbre  to  his  choice  had  as  yet 
crossed  her  mind.  Not  a  cloud  had  arisen  to  dim 
the  sunshine  of  her  new-born  happiness,  not  a  doubt 
or  fear  had  found  lodgment  in  her  unsuspicious 
breast.  For  the  first  time  in  all  her  life  she  had 
tasted  of  the  blessedness  of  a  love  strong  to  protect 
and  shelter,  and  this  of  itself,  to  one  who  had  even 
from  childhood  been  the  bearer  of  others'  burdens, 
the  care-taker  and  supporter  of  those  she  loved, 
comforted  and  cheered  her  woman's  heart,  and  made 
the  future  seem  to  her  illumined  vision,  one  long 
vista  of  restful,  love-sheltered  happiness, — 


"Oh,  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal"    293 

"  A  sunshiny  world,  full  of  laughter  and  leisure, 
And  young  hearts  untainted  by  sorrow  or  thrall." 

But  now,  in  a  moment  as  it  were,  while,  with  even 
tenderer  touch  than  usual  she  passed  her  soothing 
hands  across  the  aching  forehead  of  Robert  Humbre's 
mother,  and  marked  with  a  suddenly  sharpened  vi 
sion,  the  hard,  proud  lines  that  time  had  drawn  upon 
that  once  fair  face,  her  heart  sank  within  her,  and  the 
little  cloud,  at  first  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,  grew 
little  by  little,  shutting  out  the  sunshine  of  hope  and 
love,  and  brooding  darkly  like  an  impalpable  presence 
over  them,  as  Mrs.  Humbre,  in  her  sweetest,  softest 
tones,  went  on  to  talk  of  her  own  family  affairs  with  a 
freedom  that  was  in  itself  suspicious. 

"  I  think  one  reason  why  I  have  these  headaches  so 
often  lately  is  because  I  worry  so  much  about  Robert." 

She  felt  the  electric  thrill  of  the  soft  palm  that 
rested  upon  her  forehead,  and  with  a  woman's  intu 
ition,  knew  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  love  that  Robert 
had  taken  no  pains  to  hide  was  known  and  returned. 
Suspicion  had  become  certainty,  and  hardening  her 
heart  she  went  on,  lowering  her  voice  to  a  confiden 
tial  tone. 

"  My  husband  at  his  death  left  his  whole  fortune 
unreservedly  to  me,  to  do  as  I  pleased  with.  Of 
course  I  paid  the  expenses  of  Robert's  education,  but 
as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  earn  an  income  from  his 
art  he  naturally  preferred  to  be  independent,  and  he 
was  fast  accumulating  a  fortune,  when  he  was  foolish 
enough  to  leave  all  and  enlist  in  the  army.  There 
he  lost  his  arm,  and  with  it  all  hopes  of  ever  winning 
even  a  competency  by  his  own  exertions." 


294  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

She  paused  a  moment  as  if  expecting  some  com 
ment,  but  as  her  listener  remained  silent,  she  asked 
directly : 

"  You  see  for  yourself  that  that  leaves  him  at 
present  entirely  dependent  upon  me?" 

"  It  would  seem  so." 

There  was  surprise  and  something  of  incredulity  in 
her  tones,  nothing  more,  and  while  the  wily  woman 
would  gladly  have  had  a  look  at  the  face  above  her, 
she  could  not  obtain  even  a  glimpse  without  a  notice 
able  effort  that  would  in  itself  seem  suspicious,  and 
she  was  forced  to  content  herself  with  surmises  as  to 
the  effect  of  her  revelations. 

"  Of  course,  as  my  own  son,  I  am  perfectly  willing 
to  help  him,  as  I  have  told  him  a  hundred  times,  but 
he  is  proud,  and  the  feeling  of  dependence  weighs 
upon  him  terribly.  Why,  he  has  aged  more  in  the 
last  year  than  he  should  have  done  in  ten,  and  all 
that  I  can  do  or  say  seems  to  have  no  effect  in 
lessening  the  feeling  of  humiliation  that  he  groans 
under.  I  have  turned  the  matter  over  in  my  mind 
until  my  brain  has  whirled,  and  still  I  can  see  only 
one  way  in  which  it  is  possible  for  him  to  regain  his 
self-respect,  and  with  it  his  peace  of  mind,  and  that 
is  for  him  to  marry  a  fortune.  Don't  misunderstand 
me,  dear,"  as  Comfort  gave  a  low,  involuntary  cry  of 
pained  astonishment,  "  I  did  n't  mean  to  marry  any 
lady  simply  and  solely  for  her  money  (I  would  n't 
be  so  mercenary  as  that  for  the  world),  but  that  in 
marrying  he  must  be  prudent  enough  to  look  out 
that  the  lady  has  a  fortune  that  will  suffice  for  both. 
Now  I  shall  betray  no  confidences,  but  there  is  a 


"Oh,  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal"    295 

young  lady,  —  an  heiress  in  her  own  right,  and  a 
lovely,  accomplished  girl  besides, — whom  I  have 
every  reason  to  think  would  not  say  him  nay,  if  he 
would  put  aside  that  false  pride  of  his,  and  ask  her 
hand  in  marriage." 

A  shudder  ran  through  the  girl's  frame,  but  her 
voice  never  wavered  as  she  asked  with  simple 
directness  : 

"  Do  you  mean  that  he  —  loves  this  lady  that  you 
speak  of,  but  because  of  his  poverty  will  not  ask  her 
to  become  his  wife  ?  " 

Mrs.  Humbre  laughed  uneasily. 

"  I  did  n't  say  so,  did  I  ?  But  this  much  I  will  say 
that  Robert  Humbre,  wedded  to  poverty  and  ob 
scurity,  would  be  the  most  wretched  man  alive,  and 
to  guard  against  any  such  foolhardiness  on  his  part, 
I  shall  certainly  disinherit  him  if  he  marries  without 
my  consent." 

Miss  Delphine's  voice  and  step  upon  the  stair  was 
a  welcome  interruption,  and  Comfort  was  glad  to 
excuse  herself  from  further  attendance  upon  her 
tormentor,  and  in  the  welcome  solitude  of  her  own 
room,  try  to  collect  her  distracted  thoughts,  and  look 
bravely  into  the  face  of  this  terrible  revelation, 
letting  reason  rather  than  passion  judge  how  far  his 
mother's  judgment  of  Robert  Humbre  was  correct. 
It  could  not  be  that  he,  a  man  in  the  prime  of  life, 
gifted  as  few  men  are,  was  an  idle  dependent  upon 
his  mother's  bounty,  tamely  wearing  the  yoke  that 
galled  and  tortured  him,  because  of  a  foolish  pride 
that  forbade  him  to  seek  in  honorable  channels  an 
independent  livelihood.  That  his  own  mother  would 


296  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

thus  belittle  and  misrepresent  him  for  purposes  of 
her  own  seemed  incredible  to  the  simple-minded 
girl.  In  spite  of  his  luxurious  home-surroundings, 
he  was  a  man  of  simple  tastes  and  habits,  and  the 
idea  of  his  happiness  being  dependent  upon  outside 
surroundings  seemed  to  her  a  false  one.  But  on  the 
other  hand  we  are  all  more  or  less  the  creatures  of 
habit,  and  if  these  costly  comforts  that  he  had  been 
all  his  life  used  to  were  to  be  withheld,  would  he 
not  feel  all  the  humiliation  and  discomfort  that  his 
mother  had  foreshadowed  ? 

The  hints  that  Mrs.  Humbre  had  thrown  out  about 
the  desirable  heiress,  only  waiting  like  a  ripe  plum 
for  him  to  open  his  mouth,  she  put  aside  with  a 
smile  of  contempt.  His  love  for  herself  she  never  for 
an  instant  doubted,  the  question  was  would  that  love 
make  or  mar  his  life  ?  Of  herself,  of  her  lonely, 
desolate  life  without  him,  she  could  not,  would  not 
think.  If  in  the  acceptance  of  his  love  she  would 
really  add  to  his  burdens,  make  his  dependence 
more  bitter,  perhaps,  even,  by  bringing  upon  him 
his  mother's  displeasure,  deprive  him  of  his  rightful 
inheritance,  would  her  love  have  the  power  to  make 
up  to  him  the  loss  of  home,  friends,  and  patrimony  ? 

Over  and  over  again  through  that  long  remem 
bered  day,  did  she  ask  herself  the  question,  and 
slowly  but  surely  the  conviction  grew,  that  in  the  pres 
ent  state  of  affairs,  it  would  be  a  wrong  to  the  man 
she  loved  to  become  his  wife.  The  future  was  not 
without  hope,  for  Jotham  might  relent,  and  instead 
of  a  penniless  bride  she  might  be  welcomed  by  his 
family  as  the  upbuilder  of  his  fortunes.  Then,  too, 


"Oh,  I  See  Thee  Old  and  Formal"    297 

his  own  dreams  of  artistic  triumphs  might  be  realized, 
and  the  support  of  a  wife  be  no  burden  upon  him  or 
his.  Yes,  it  was  that  very  burden  of  indebtedness  for 
the  grudged  bounty  of  that  selfish,  proud  woman. 
There  was  the  sting  that  not  all  her  reasonings,  not 
all  the  power  of  her  loving  devotion  was  able  to  dull. 
The  honest  pride  of  her  race  shrank  from  this 
humiliation,  even  for  love's  sake,  and  in  her  inmost 
soul  she  knew  that  she  was  unequal  to  it. 

She  would  have  gloried  in  toiling  for  the  man  she 
loved,  in  bravely  keeping  step  with  him,  let  the  path 
be  smooth  or  rugged,  and  in  bearing  cheerfully  her 
share  of  the  inevitable  burden  of  life.  But  even  for 
his  sake  she  could  not  bow  her  neck  to  the  yoke  that 
would  ever  wound  and  humiliate  her,  —  the  yoke 
that  Mrs.  Humbre  herself  admitted  pressed  so  heavi 
ly  upon  her  own  son  that  it  was  wearing  the  life  and 
courage  out  of  his  young  manhood,  and  reducing 
him  to  the  pitiable  condition  of  a  family  pauper. 
With  her  strong  faith  in  him  she  believed  that,  un 
burdened  by  family  ties,  he  would  soon  work  out  his 
own  independence,  and  until  that  day  should  come, 
for  his  sake,  for  both  their  sakes,  it  would  be  wisest 
and  best  that  he  should  be  untrammelled  by  prom 
ises  even. 

"  He  will  see  it  as  I  do,  and  wait,"  she  concluded 
hopefully,  as  at  last  she  turned  her  face  to  her  tear- 
wet  pillow  and  slept  the  dreamless  sleep  of  youth 
and  hope,  and  an  untried  faith  in  a  happy  future. 


CHAPTER     XXXI 

"  COMFORTING   VOICE, 
I   PRAY   YOU   BE   MY   WIFE'S   VOICE" 

WHY  is  it  that  a  man  in  love  is  the  most  un 
reasonable,  pig-headed,  wilfully  blind  animal 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth  ?  He  may  be  possessed 
of  all  the  manly  virtues  of  courage,  self-control,  and 
endurance,  he  may  be  a  very  Solomon  for  wisdom, 
be  just,  clear-headed,  and  sensible,  but  let  him  be 
overtaken  by  that  amiable  madness  that  we  call  love, 
all  these  virtues  count  for  naught.  Reason,  entreaty, 
argument  are  alike  wasted  upon  him,  so  long  as  his 
eyes  are  dazzled  and  his  ears  charmed  with  the  rain 
bow  shimmer  and  rustle  of  the  boy-god's  wings,  — 
will,  reason,  self-interest  are  all  dominated  by  that 
one  overmastering  passion,  nor  was  Robert  Humbre 
an  exception  to  the  general  rule. 

At  first  he  met  Comfort's  objections  with  tender 
raillery.  Did  she  suppose  that  the  loaf  that  overfed 
the  one  might  not  be  made  to  suffice  for  two  ?  To 
be  sure,  he  was  not  a  rich  man,  but  he  was  fast  re- 
learning  his  old  artistic  touch  and  even  if  that  dream 
should  prove  an  illusion,  the  income  that  he  derived 
from  his  father's  property  would  alone  support  them 
comfortably  if  not  luxuriously. 

"  The  income  ?  " 

And  the  girl's  face  grew  very  pale,  and  her  eyes 


"  Comforting  Voice  "  299 

looked  searchingly  into  his  own,  with  a  startled,  half- 
doubtful  expression,  that  puzzled  him. 

"  I  should  have  explained  that  my  father  at  his 
death,  while  he  left  the  bulk  of  his  property  to  my 
mother,  arranged  for  the  payment  of  a  yearly  income 
to  each  of  us  —  my  sister  and  myself — that  let  what 
would  happen,  we  might  be  sure  of  a  support  at  least 
as  long  as  we  lived.  During  the  years  that  I  was 
earning  a  livelihood  with  my  pencil  I  allowed  the  in 
come  to  accumulate,  and  since  leaving  the  army  I 
have  found  the  sum  saved  very  welcome  as  a  means 
of  support.  Are  you  satisfied  with  my  financial 
report,  little  Yankee  ?  "  —  with  a  laugh  as  tenderly 
mischievous  as  the  kiss  that  accompanied  it. 

Comfort  smiled,  but  there  was  a  troubled  look  in 
her  eyes,  and  as  the  momentary  blush  faded,  her 
cheek  took  again  the  pallid  hue  of  doubt  and  per 
plexity.  Painful  as  it  was  to  her  to  know  that  the 
mother  of  Robert  Humbre  had  demeaned  herself  to 
so  misrepresent  matters  in  regard  to  his  financial 
standing,  the  truth  as  coming  from  his  own  lips  had 
taken  a  world  of  vicarious  mortification  from  off  her 
heart,  and  awakened  a  hope  that  perhaps,  after  all, 
her  boasted  power  to  disinherit  him  at  will  had  quite 
as  little  foundation  as  the  fiction  of  his  present  de 
pendence  upon  her  bounty.  Her  heart  beat  thick 
and  fast  with  alternate  hope  and  fear,  as  in  a  voice 
scarce  above  a  whisper,  she  put  the  question  whose 
answer  must  be  either  the  seal  or  knell  of  her  own 
happiness. 

"But  can  she,  —  your  mother,  disinherit  you  at 
the  last,  if  she  pleases?" 


300  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

A  dark  flush  rose  to  the  man's  forehead,  and  for 
the  first  time  Comfort  saw  the  lurid  fire  of  anger 
in  her  lover's  eyes,  as  he  replied  with  evident  reluc 
tance  to  her  question: 

"  She  has  a  right  to  dispose  of  her  own  share, 
which  comprises  two-thirds  of  the  whole  estate,  as 
she  pleases.  My  father  had  the  utmost  confidence 
not  only  in  her  discretion  but  in  her  maternal 
devotion,  and  no  doubt  he  honestly  believed  that 
by  putting  this  power  into  her  hands,  he  secured 
us  from  any  dangerous  business  or  matrimonial 
entanglements." 

He  laughed,  but  there  was  no  mirth  in  the  laughter. 
It  was  evident  that  the  pride  of  the  man  was  sorely 
wounded  by  this  threatening  sword  constantly  sus 
pended  over  his  head,  from  his  youth  up.  It  was 
not  so  much  the  threatened  loss  of  the  money,  that 
should  be  his  by  right,  but  the  feeling  that  his  birth 
right,  —  the  God-given,  inalienable  right  of  the  first 
born,  —  could  be  set  at  naught  by  the  mere  whim  of 
another,  even  though  that  other  was  his  own  mother, 
that  touched  him  to  the  quick.  That  she  would  take 
advantage  of  her  power  to  wrest  from  him  the  fair 
heritage  to  which  he  was  born,  he  had  never  for  an 
instant  imagined,  and  when  Comfort  with  tearful  per 
sistency,  urged  her  determination  never  to  be  his 
wife  without  his  mother's  consent,  he  was  by  turns 
incredulous,  hurt,  and  angry.  It  was  ridiculous,  the 
most  preposterous  idea  that  had  ever  entered  the 
brain  of  a  woman,  —  or  man  either,  for  that  matter, 
—  that  when  he  loved  and  would  wed  the  dearest 
and  noblest  girl  in  the  whole  world,  his  mother  would 


"  Comforting  Voice  "  301 

disinherit  him,  merely  because  that  helpful  little  hand 
that  he  was  so  proud  to  claim  was  not  lined  with 
gold.  Why,  it  was  plain  that  she  was  herself  in  love 
with  her.  He  had  heard  her  praise  scores  of  times 
her  womanly  grace  and  tender  helpfulness.  Of  course 
she  would  be  only  too  proud  and  glad  to  welcome 
her  as  a  daughter. 

Then  as  Comfort  still  persisted  in  her  determina 
tion  that  the  welcome  should  be  a  preliminary  to 
their  betrothal,  her  lover  actually  lost  his  temper  at 
what  he  honestly  considered  her  obstinacy.  Should 
he  go  like  a  child  in  pinafores  to  ask  his  mamma's 
leave  before  he  ventured  to  pluck  the  fruit  for  which 
his  soul  longed?  Should  he,  a  man,  with  a  man's 
brain  and  heart,  ask  the  consent  of  any  human  being 
to  plight  his  troth  to  the  woman  he  loved? 

It  was  putting  him  into  the  pitiable  category  of  im 
beciles  and  dependents  to  ask  such  a  thing  of  him. 
And  poor  Comfort,  bruised,  and  hurt,  and  half  per 
suaded  by  his  impetuous  flood  of  argument,  entreaty, 
and  reproaches,  to  follow  the  leadings  of  her  own 
heart,  and  trust  the  future  to  take  care  of  itself,  was 
tempted  to  yield  her  will  to  his,  and  as  his  wife  face 
fearlessly  his  mother's  scorn  and  anger. 

Had  her  love  been  a  whit  less  unselfish  she  would 
have  given  up  the  struggle,  and  allowed  herself  the 
peace  and  rest  for  which  her  tired  heart  cried  so  im 
portunately.  But  for  his  sake  they  must  wait,  must 
trust  to  time  and  circumstances  to  soften  down  the 
opposition  that  he,  manlike,  chose  to  ignore  the  pos 
sibility  of.  Something,  many  things  might  happen 
to  reconcile  the  proud  dame  to  their  marriage.  If 


302  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

she  could  only  have  confided  to  him  the  facts  in 
regard  to  her  own  heritage  he  might  better  have  un 
derstood  the  motives  that  prompted  her  seemingly 
unreasonable  opposition  to  his  will.  But  here  family 
pride  and  the  ties  of  kinship  sealed  her  lips.  How 
could  she  say  to  this  honorable,  upright  man,  whose 
respect  was  almost  as  precious  to  her  as  his  love: 

"  My  own  brother  is  a  villain,  who  refuses  to  allow 
me  to  sell  my  land  for  what  would  be  to  me  a  fortune, 
because  he  thinks  that,  in  time,  under  the  cruel  pres 
sure  of  want  and  poverty,  I  will  part  with  it  to  him  for 
a  song,  to  keep  myself  from  starving." 

To  only  one  friend  in  the  world  could  she  confide 
the  shameful  secret,  and  as  the  days  slipped  by,  each 
bringing  nearer  the  return  of  Franz  Hedvig  to  his 
boyhood's  home,  her  bruised  and  aching  heart  felt  a 
revival  of  hope  and  courage. 

Once,  twice,  she  had  written  to  her  brother,  —  for 
she  felt  herself  unequal  to  a  personal  interview,  —  and 
with  all  the  eloquence  of  which  she  was  capable,  im 
plored  his  leave  to  dispose  of  that  part  of  her  land 
that  the  speculators  had  already  made  her  a  generous 
offer  for. 

"  I  shall  never,"  she  reasoned,  "  dispose  of  it  for 
less  than  the  sum  already  offered.  And  so  long  as  I 
have  my  health  and  strength,  I  shall  be  under  no 
necessity  of  selling  it  for  the  means  of  living  com 
fortably  and  honestly." 

To  the  first  of  these  notes  came  the  hard,  brief 
answer : 

"  Sell  it  to  me,  or  keep  it,  just  as  you  please." 

To   the    last  no    reply  whatever  was  vouchsafed. 


"  Comforting  Voice  "  303 

But  what  could  Franz  do  in  the  case?  The  law 
could  not  be  appealed  to,  for  the  clause  in  the  will 
was  direct  and  explicit.  The  land  could  not  be  sold 
without  Jotham's  consent.  No  threat  of  exposure 
could  move  him,  for  there  was  the  plausible  excuse 
ever  ready  to  his  hand,  that  "  land  was  every  year  in 
creasing  in  value,  and  that  therefore  it  was  the  kindest 
and  wisest  thing  that  could  be  done  to  hold  it  for  a 
higher  bidder."  To  appeal  to  his  brotherly  sym 
pathies,  to  his  honor  as  a  man,  would  be  worse  than 
useless,  —  and  yet,  in  their  boy  and  girl  days,  Franz 
had  always  been  her  friend  and  helper. 

Shrewd  and  sagacious  by  nature,  he  had  that  in 
born  faculty,  as  rare  as  it  is  precious,  of  finding  the 
right  end  by  which  the  skein,  however  tangled,  might 
be  unwound,  —  simple  and  easy  enough  in  his  hands, 
however  puzzling  it  might  have  seemed  to  everybody 
else.  That  the  knots  in  his  own  love  skein  were  being 
so  easily  untied,  thanks  to  her  prudence  and  foresight, 
rejoiced  the  girl's  unselfish  heart,  and  in  listening  to 
Lois's  tender  confidences,  and  glowing  pictures  of  the 
future,  she  often  forgot  for  the  time  her  own  troubles, 
—  Mrs.  Humbre's  cold  scorn,  Miss  Delphine's  ill-con 
cealed  anxiety,  and  hardest  of  all,  Robert's  reproach 
ful  face,  that  told  its  own  story,  in  spite  of  the  loving 
words  and  attentions  under  which  he  strove  to  hide 
his  bitter  disappointment.  With  a  persistency  that 
seemed  to  have  little  in  it  of  hope  or  courage,  he 
devoted  himself  so  entirely  to  his  art  that  his  mother's 
plaintive  prediction  that  he  "  was  working  himself  to 
death,"  really  seemed  confirmed  by  the  thinness  of  his 
cheek  and  the  dark  circles  about  his  eyes,  as  each 


304  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

evening  he  joined  the  little  circle  at  the  farmhouse, 
sitting  in  their  midst,  a  listener  rather  than  a  sharer  in 
the  household  gossip,  always  kind  and  thoughtful  of 
others  and  yet  in  some  unexplainable  way,  apart  from 
them,  as  if  the  doors  of  his  heart,  having  once  felt 
the  magic  touch  of  love  upon  their  barred  portals, 
could  never  again  unclose  to  the  hand,  however 
tender,  of  another. 

In  her  secret  soul,  Comfort  knew  that  the  blame 
rested  at  Mrs.  Humbre's  own  door,  —  that  it  was  for 
her,  and  her  alone,  to  speak  the  word  that  would 
bring  sunshine  once  more  into  these  overshadowed 
lives,  and  yet  there  was  an  atmosphere  about  her  of 
constant  reproach,  unconscious,  perhaps,  but  none  the 
less  real,  that  made  her  feel  that  all  regarded  her  as 
the  blamable  one. 

While  secretly  delighted  at  the  turn  that  matters 
had  taken,  Mrs.  Humbre,  with  characteristic  deceit, 
calmly  ignored  her  own  responsibility  in  the  affair, 
taking  pains  to  treat  and  speak  of  her  son  with  a 
motherly  solicitude,  as  if  he  had  in  some  way  been 
most  shamefully  dealt  with,  while  to  Comfort  she 
vouchsafed  only  the  coldest  and  briefest  of  courtesies. 
That  the  object  of  her  attentions  evidently  chafed 
under  this  obtrusive  display  of  sympathy,  made  not  the 
least  difference  to  the  wily  dame.  Robert  must  on 
no  account  be  allowed  to  marry  this  dowerless,  un 
fashionable  girl,  and  yet  he  must  be  made  to  feel  that 
it  was  the  girl's  fault  and  not  hers. 

Although  he  was  too  proud  to  confide  to  her  the 
story  of  his  disappointment,  she  knew  quite  as  well 
how  matters  stood  as  if  she  had  listened  to  the  whole 


"  Comforting  Voice  "  305 

discussion,  and  so  long  as  she  could  evade  any  actual 
appeal  to  her  motherly  authority,  and  thus  ignore  the 
fact  that  her  opposition  was  the  real  lion  in  the  way 
of  her  son's  happiness,  she  might  still  retain  his  love 
and  confidence,  without  appearing  openly  as  the  dis 
turber  of  his  peace.  If  this  girl  really  had  pride 
enough  not  to  force  herself  unwelcomed  upon  her, 
Robert  would  in  time,  like  other  men,  get  over  his 
fancy,  and  when  he  decided  to  marry,  would  make  a 
match  worthy  of  himself  and  the  name  he  bore. 
Underlying  this  fixed  determination  that  he  should 
marry  a  fortune  was  a  secret  undreamed  of  by  her 
family,  that  seemed  to  make  a  wealthy  marriage  a 
necessity  to  him. 

Although  the  fortune  left  by  her  husband  had  been 
a  large  one,  her  own  extravagant,  self-indulgent 
habits  had  greatly  reduced  it,  and  to  make  this  up 
she  had  secretly  invested  in  promising  ventures  that 
had  invariably  proved  failures,  so  that  at  this  time  her 
income  barely  sufficed  to  provide  for  the  actual  neces 
sities  of  herself  and  Lois.  In  fact,  it  was  due  in  a 
great  measure  to  this  state  of  her  finances  that  she 
had  come  to  give  her  consent  to  the  girl's  marriage 
with  the  young  engineer,  whose  prospects  now  seemed 
so  bright  that  her  future,  as  his  wife,  was  better  as 
sured  than  it  would  be  as  a  dependent  upon  her  now 
uncertain  bounty.  Jealously  resenting  any  interfer 
ence  in  her  business  affairs,  she  had  contrived  to  keep 
her  children  in  ignorance  of  the  real  state  of  her 
finances,  not  only  her  pride  but  her  love  of  power 
being  concerned  to  keep  up  the  appearance  of  an 
authority  that  had  really,  —  could  they  have  only 


306  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

known  it,  —  become  but  a  bladeless  sword  in  her 
feeble  hands. 

Of  all  the  inmates  of  the  farmhouse  Lois  was  nat 
urally  the  least  disturbed  by  the  little  melodrama 
going  on  about  her.  Franz  was  on  his  way  home 
at  last,  and  any  day  she  might  see  his  familiar  form 
coming  up  the  lane,  with  the  easy,  swinging  step  that 
she  remembered  so  well,  and  hear  again  the  frank, 
cheery  tones  that  to  her  were  the  sweetest  music  in 
the  world.  Every  day,  rain  or  shine,  she  paid  a  visit 
to  Granny's  ruined  cottage,  for  fresh  roses  wherewith 
to  bedeck  the  rooms,  and  her  bonny  self  as  well;  and 
at  last,  because  she  could  think  of  nothing  else  to  do, 
she  must  needs  resurrect  Granny's  old  flax  wheel  from 
the  dust  and  rubbish  of  the  attic,  and  under  Comfort's 
inefficient  tutelage,  set  herself  to  work  to  learn  to  spin 
flax,  —  taking  care  always  to  have  the  wheel  close  to 
the  open  door,  so  that  Franz  in  approaching  the 
house,  could  not  fail  to  see  her  at  her  graceful 
task. 

"  It  would  make  it  seem  like  home  to  him,"  she  ex 
plained,  in  reply  to  Miss  Delphine's  rather  contempt 
uous  expressions  of  surprise,  and  she  "  only  wished 
that  the  old  cabin  was  in  some  kind  of  shape,  so  that 
she  could  have  the  wheel  there,  and  Granny's  own 
chair  beside  it,  to  give  him  a  real  home  welcome." 

It  would  have  been  quite  useless,  and  in  a  way 
cruel,  to  have  reminded  the  happy  girl  that  Franz 
was  one  of  the  most  unpoetic  of  mortals,  and  there 
was  not  the  least  likelihood  that  he  would  know 
Granny's  roses  or  her  flax  wheel  from  any  others. 
Lois  would  have  manufactured  a  romance  in  three 


"  Comforting  Voice  "  307 

volumes  from  a  cedar  door  post,  only  giving  her  the 
smallest  bit  of  sentiment  wherewith  to  glorify  it,  and 
if  Franz,  unimaginative,  straightforward,  cool-headed 
Franz,  had  no  power  to  see  through  her  rose-colored 
spectacles,  why,  in  all  probability,  she  would  be  able 
to  see  enough  for  both,  and  like  scores  of  sensible  men 
before  him,  he  would  placidly  enjoy  the  reflection  of 
the  rainbow  that  he  had  no  power  to  see  at  the  first 
hand. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

"  WE   ARE  NOW   IN   THE   HEIGHT   OF  THE   SEASON  " 

THE  ferry-boat  was  steaming  gallantly  across  the 
Bay,  and  a  young  man  leaning  carelessly  over 
her  deck  railing,  straightened  himself  for  a  long, 
sharp,  eager  look  at  the  fast-approaching  roofs  and 
spires  of  Bar  Harbor.  Was  it  a  mirage,  or  had  some 
potent  enchanter  suddenly  transformed  the  quiet 
hamlet  into  this  busy,  bustling  summer  city  by  the 
sea?  He  rubbed  his  eyes  as  if  to  clear  them  from 
some  cheating  mist,  and  with  a  low  whistle  of 
mingled  astonishment  and  incredulity,  exclaimed  be 
neath  his  breath : 

"  Bar  Harbor !  But  where  has  Bar  Harbor  gone 
to?" 

A  figure  at  his  side  put  up  an  inquisitive  eye-glass 
and  stared  at  him  for  a  moment  in  mute  bewilder 
ment,  then  all  at  once  awaking  to  the  fact  that  this 
stranger,  whose  foreign  dress  contrasted  so  oddly 
with  his  unmistakably  Yankee  speech,  might  be  worth 
the  expenditure  of  some  of  his  carefully  hoarded 
courtesies,  he  took  upon  himself  to  explain,  after  the 
manner  of  his  kind. 

"Oh!  aw!  Yes,  —  it's  Baw  Hawber,  and  no  mis 
take.  Most  chawming  spot  on  earth,  —  finest  women 
to  be  seen  at,  aw —  any  watering  place  awn  this  side 
the  big  ditch.  Plenty  of  fun  going  awn,  —  hops  and 


"In  the  Height  of  the  Season"      309 

drives,  and  boating  and  flirting,  —  baw  Jove  !  I  never 
can  bear,  you  know,  to  tear  myself  away." 

The  young  man  addressed  thrust  his  hands  into 
his  pockets,  and  looked  down  upon  his  diminutive 
companion  with  a  kind  of  benevolent  wonder,  much 
as  a  kindly  tempered  mastiff  might  regard  a  skye- 
terrier  who  had  ventured  upon  offering  him  some 
small  doggish  civilities. 

"  Ah,  yes.  Beg  your  pardon,  but  did  I  understand 
you  to  say  that  this  new  Bar  Harbor  was  entirely 
given  over  to  the  fashionable  pleasure  seekers  ? 
There  seems  to  me  a  good  deal  of  business  going  on, 
—  such  wonderful  growth  must  have  made  things 
pretty  lively  for  the  island  folks." 

"  Aw,  yes,  —  I  suppose  so.  The  natives  feather 
their  own  nests,  without  a  doubt.  They  make  you 
pay,  aw,  —  a  dollar  or  so  every  time  you  turn  wound, 
-it's  perfectly  pweposterous.  But  then,  you  know, 
when  you  're  with  the  Womans  you  must  do  as  the 
Womans  do,  —  you  understand?  " 

"  Of  course,  if  one  herds  with  the  Romans," 
laughed  the  other  good  naturedly.  "  But  in  speak 
ing  of  the  diversions  here  you  did  n't  mention  '  rock 
ing.'  That  used  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  summer 
visitors  here,  years  ago." 

"  Wocking  did  you  say?  Weally,  I  don't  think  I 
catch  on,  you  know." 

"  It  was  nothing  but  clambering  over  the  rocks 
hunting  after  marine  specimens  or  sea-birds'  eggs- 
Very  innocent  fun,  but  the  people  who  came  here 
then  seemed  to  enjoy  it." 

"  Tewibly  destructive  to  clothing  !  "  and  the  speaker 


3 1  o  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

gave  a  dainty  shiver,  and  hastily  brushed  a  cinder 
from  the  cuff  of  his  gray  travelling  coat.  "  Such 
boistwous  sports  are,  aw,  not  in  good  fawm  with  the 
uppaw  classes  that  fwequent  Baw  Hawber  now 
adays." 

"  Indeed.  Well  tastes  change  at  Bar  Harbor  as 
elsewhere,  I  suppose."  Then  turning  to  the  captain, 
a  lank,  sharp-eyed  man,  with  a  wary  look  upon  his 
weather-beaten  face,  he  asked  curiously:  "Are  all 
those  big  buildings  hotels?  It  looks  from  here  as  if 
the  place  was  pretty  much  all  hotel." 

There  was  a  half-reluctant  wrinkling  of  the  parch 
ment-like  skin  about  the  mouth  of  the  person  ad 
dressed  that  was  meant  to  do  duty  for  a  smile,  but 
his  speech  was  slow  and  meditative  as  became  the 
man  and  his  subject. 

"  Wa-11,  yes,  there  's  a  pretty  fair  sprinklin'  o'  them 
kind  o'  buildin's,  to  be  sure,  but  they  be  chock  full 
every  season.  I  tell  you,"  drawing  closer,  and  speak 
ing  confidentially,  "  the  man  that  knows  how  to  run  a 
hotel  at  Bar  Harbor  can  make  money  hand  over  fist. 
Yes,"  illustrating  his  simile  with  a  corresponding 
motion  of  his  own  leathery  extremities,  —  "  hand 
over  fist.  Do  you  see  that  big  one  over  there  where 
Sol  Higgins's  ile  shed  used  ter  stand?  Yes, — -well 
that's  Jote  Hadlock's  hotel,  —  he  and  his  mother-in- 
law,  the  Widder  Scripture,  own  it  together.  'T  was 
one  o'  the  first  on  the  ground,  and  he  's  grown  rich 
keepin'  it.  Last  year  he  sent  his  wife  (she  'twas 
Tabby  Scripture),  to  Europe,  and  they  do  say  she 
cut  an  awful  swathe  there,  —  spent  money  like  water, 
went  to  see  the  queen  and  the  wax  works  and  the 


"In  the  Height  of  the  Season"      311 

bear  gardings,  and  —  the  Lord  knows  what  not. 
She 's  been  so  toppin'  sense  she  got  back  that  you 
can't  touch  'er  with  a  ten-foot  pole.  Thinks  she  's 
head  an'  shoulders  above  good,  nice,  stay-at-home 
girls,  like  Mandy  f 'r  instance.  But  money  makes  the 
mare  go  here  as  well  as  everywhere  else." 

He  sniffed  discontentedly,  but  the  stranger's  eye 
turned  with  a  look  of  pleased  recognition  to  his  now 
familiar  face,  and  he  stretched  out  his  hand  with  the 
unaffected  cordiality  of  an  old  friend  who  is  sure  of  a 
welcome. 

"  Why,  Jake  !  I  thought  you  looked  natural,  but  I 
never  should  have  known  who  it  was  if  you  had  n't 
mentioned  Mandy." 

"  Why-y,  yis,"  and  the  proffered  hand  was  rather 
coolly  accepted,  as  with  possible  reservations.  "  It's 
Jake  sure  enough,  but,  —  blast  me  'f  I  can  call  your 
name." 

"  Hedvig  —  Franz  Hedvig,  —  you  have  n't  for 
gotten?  " 

"  Oh,  Lord  !  No,  no,  —  not  by  a  long  chalk  !  "  and 
Franz's  hand  ached  with  the  wrench  he  gave  it. 

"  Well,  well,  I  never !  After  all  these  years,  to 
come  back  to  this." 

The  proud  exultation  of  the  native  Bar  Harborite 
in  the  grandeur  of  his  own  transformed  hamlet  spoke 
in  every  glance  of  his  eye,  and  in  the  tone  and 
emphasis  with  which  he  pronounced  that  significant 
"  this."  It  was  a  grand  pictured  volume  in  itself,  and 
carried  a  world  of  meaning  to  Franz's  sympathetic 
apprehension,  who  might  have  read  something  like 
this  between  the  lines :  This  fair  summer  city  of 


312  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

palaces,  where  wealth  and  fashion,  and  beauty  hold 
their  court;  where  Nature  and  Art  unite  to  charm 
the  jaded  senses,  and  the  fresh,  bracing  northern  air 
paints  as  impartially  the  cheek  of  faded  beauty  as,  a 
few  weeks  later,  it  will  play  the  tirewoman  to  the 
forest  leaves  that  now  deck  the  green  woodland 
arches,  and,  like  the  oaks  of  Dodona,  rustle  with 
mystic  meaning  to  the  ears  attuned  to  receive  their 
prophecies.  Fashion  and  folly,  wisdom  and  art,  the 
gamester's  cards  and  the  clergyman's  cassock.  Youth 
hand  in  hand  with  Joy,  and  Age  ever  casting  longing 
looks  backward,  or  hopefully  facing  a  faith-illumined 
sunset.  Men  and  women  of  every  age,  class,  and 
condition,  all  intent  upon  the  pursuit  of  happiness  in 
one  form  or  another,  make  up  the  sum  of  human  life 
in  this  fair  and  stately  playground  of  the  American 
pleasure  seeker. 

Here,  too,  come  the  "  lions  "  of  the  world,  of  every 
stripe  and  degree,  —  political,  moneyed,  literary,  and 
artistic,  —  of  whose  roar  the  dainty  Unas  of  fashion 
have  no  fear,  for  in  their  silken  bands  of  elegant 
leisure  even  the  most  ferocious  forgets  for  the  time 
that  he  has  claws  and  fangs  at  need,  and  good  natur- 
edly  poses  upon  the  drawing-room  rug,  like  any 
innocent,  harmless  domestic  cat.  Here  is  the  lion 
that  somebody  heard  "  roar  in  the  lobby,"  -—a  grand, 
stately,  sagacious  beast,  whose  roar  has,  upon  occa 
sion,  shaken  the  halls  of  Congress  and  made  even  the 
dome  at  Washington  reverberate  with  its  thunder. 
Here,  too,  comes  the  African  lion,  hardy,  patient,  de 
termined,  a  pathfinder  through  worse  than  Indian 
jungles,  whose  mighty  paw  has  swept  aside  the  rub- 


"In  the  Height  of  the  Season"      313 

bish  of  centuries,  uncovered  the  hidden  sources  of 
mighty  rivers,  and  let  in  the  life-giving  sunlight  of 
civilization  upon  lands  lying  in  the  darkness  and 
gloom  of  heathendom. 

The  roar  of  the  Asiatic  lion,  musical  as  the  chime 
of  silver  bells,  is  telling  in  melodious  numbers  of 
white  dromedaries,  with  gemmed  and  silken  housings, 
who  bear  dark-eyed  maidens,  beautiful  as  houris, 
upon  their  stately  shoulders ;  of  palm  gardens,  of 
chariot  races,  and  sweetest  of  all,  of  Him  whose  mis 
sion  to  earth  was  to  save  and  to  bless  fallen  humanity. 
If  the  golden  shekels  wherewith  the  Judaean  lion  be 
dazzles  the  eyes  of  men  make  some  foolish  souls 
forget  that  honor,  truth,  and  love  are  more  precious 
than  gold,  and  more  to  be  desired  than  hid  treasure, 
why,  it  is  not  to  be  laid  to  the  account  of  the  long- 
descended  beast  himself.  The  lust  of  the  eyes  and 
the  pride  of  life  will  make  a  god  of  Mammon  so  long 
as  the  world  stands. 

But  to  return  to  the  incoming  steamer,  with  Franz 
Hedvig  and  Cap'n  Jake  upon  her  deck,  the  former 
eagerly  searching  for  some  old  remembered  land 
mark  that  would  at  least  assure  him  that  his  home 
coming  was  not  all  an  illusion.  There  were  the  cliffs, 
tall  and  dark  and  grim  as  of  yore,  the  sea  as  blue 
and  bright,  and  the  numberless  islands  lying  green 
beneath  the  summer's  sun,  just  as  they  had  lain  years 
ago  when  he  had  taken  a  last  sorrowful  look  at  their 
wave-washed  shores.  Here  and  there  a  fisherman's 
dory  with  its  patched  sail  scarcely  flapping  in  the 
light  breeze  met  his  eye,  but  the  bay  was  gay  with 
smartly  rigged  yachts,  flying  bunting  enough  to 


3 14  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

equip  a  navy  if  judiciously  distributed;  sailboats  and 
steam-boats  of  every  size  and  build ;  while  anchored 
off  shore  lay  the  dark  hull  of  a  man-of-war,  with  the 
Russian  Bear  floating  from  her  masthead.  Cap'n 
Jake  followed  the  direction  of  his  eye  as  it  rested 
upon  the  last-named  craft,  and  remarked  with  con 
siderable  asperity : 

"  Sech  a  time  as  they've  been  makin'  over  them 
Rushers!  Cosetin'  an'  pettin'  'em  as  if  they'd  come 
from  another  spear.  Dress  a  jackass  up  in  furrin 
uniform,  with  plenty  o'  buttons  an'  gold  lace,  and 
nine  wimmin  out  o'  every  ten  would  swear  that  he 
was  the  finest  figger  of  a  man  that  the  Lord  ever 
made." 

Franz  laughed.  Jake  at  least  was  the  Jake  of 
other  days,  and  the  temptation  to  draw  him  out  was 
not  to  be  resisted. 

"  Say,"  with  a  nod  over  his  shoulder,  at  the  tourist, 
who  had  withdrawn  himself  somewhat  and  was  lan 
guidly  waving  his  handkerchief  in  response  to  a 
signal  from  the  shore,  "  Say,  Jake,  that 's  a  new  kind 
of  animal  that  Bar  Harbor  seems  to  have  imported 
along  with  her  hotels  and  cottages,  —  what  do  you 
call  it?" 

The  cynical  philosopher  cast  a  look  half  scornful, 
half  sorrowful  at  the  specimen  in  question,  then 
without  a  shadow  of  mirth  in  eye  or  tone,  gravely 
responded : 

"  Well,  they  go  by  the  name  o'  '  sports  '  up  Canady 
way,  the  New  Yorkers  call  'em  '  swells/  an'  the  Ver- 
monters  '  coots,'  but  with  the  Boston  an'  Bar  Harbor 
folks  they  're  mostly  known  as  '  dudes.'  They  're 


"In  the  Height  of  the  Season"      315 

harmless  and  pretty  peaceable  ginerally,  but  I  never 
could  see,  to  save  my  soul,  what  the  Lord  made  'em 
for,  unless  't  was  to  kind  of  encourage  tailorin'  an' 
shoemakin'.  Their  only  real  business  seems  ter  be 
to  dress  up  an'  look  pretty,  an'  between  whiles  they 
dance  an'  flirt  a  little,  or  let  some  girl  take  'em  out 
rowin'." 

The  boat  was  now  fast  nearing  the  shore,  and 
Cap'n  Jake  was  obliged  to  break  off  his  confidences 
with  a  few  hurried  words  of  welcome,  and  a  cordial 
invitation  to  visit  him  in  his  new  home. 

"  I  've  got  the  nest  all  ready  and  furnished,"  he 
whispered  with  rather  a  sheepish  air,  "  but  Mandy, 
she  won't  leave  Comfort  Hadlock  alone,  —  so  there 
'tis." 

He  was  gone,  and  as  the  boat  swung  up  alongside 
the  crowded  wharf  Franz  could  scarcely  disabuse  him 
self  of  the  idea  that  he  was  really  a  stranger  among 
these  unfamiliar  scenes,  and  that  the  quiet,  peaceful 
memories  of  years  had  been  but  a  dream,  after  all.  No 
body  recognized  him,  although  many  glanced  curi 
ously  at  the  stout,  well-knit  figure  in  its  foreign  dress, 
—  for  the  young  man  wore  the  undress  uniform  to 
which  his  rank  in  the  corps  of  Royal  Engineers  en 
titled  him.  Once  upon  firm  land  he  glanced  quickly, 
searchingly  about  him.  Every  face,  whether  of  man 
or  woman,  wore  the  cold,  unrecognizing  look  of  a 
stranger,  and  a  sharp  pang  of  disappointment  shot 
through  his  heart  as  he  remembered  how  many  times 
during  these  long  years  he  had  pictured  this  home 
coming,  and  the  welcome  he  fondly  fancied  he  would 
find  awaiting  him,  and  now  — 


3 1 6  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  Carriage,  sir !  Rodick  House  !  "  shouted  a  hack 
driver  at  his  elbow. 

The  name  was  a  familiar  one,  and  he  brightened  up, 
shaking  off  the  gloom  that  had  oppressed  him,  with  a 
half-ashamed  smile. 

"  I  wonder  if  Dan  '11  know  me?  "  he  thought,  as  he 
pointed  out  his  luggage  to  the  driver.  He  was  about 
to  enter  the  carriage,  when  a  hand  was  laid  upon  his 
shoulder,  and  the  voice  of  Robert  Humbre  called  out 
in  glad  welcome : 

"  Franz  Hedvig  !  Welcome  home,  old  fellow  !  I  've 
been  on  the  lookout  for  you  every  time  the  boat  has 
come  in  for  the  last  two  weeks." 

What  a  sudden  breaking  away  of  the  clouds  those 
few  hearty,  unaffected  words  of  friendly  greeting  had 
effected,  and  as  the  two  rode  together  to  the  hotel, 
they  talked  and  laughed  with  a  boyish  gleefulness  that 
made  the  blood  flow  faster  in  their  veins,  as  if  all  these 
intervening  years  with  their  cares  and  crosses  had 
been  but  a  changeable  dream,  leaving  only  a  broken, 
indistinct  memory  of  their  more  sombre  features. 
"  Dan  "  did  know  his  old  friend,  and  gave  him  a  right 
royal  welcome,  and  in  spite  of  his  impatience  to  report 
at  the  farmhouse,  the  afternoon  shadows  had  begun 
to  lengthen  before  Franz  could  tear  himself  away  from 
the  old  acquaintances  who,  one  after  another,  on 
hearing  of  his  arrival,  dropped  in  to  see  him. 

Robert  had  considerately  vanished,  and  with  a  heart 
swelling  high  with  love  and  hope,  the  young  man  set 
out  for  the  longed-for  visit,  taking  the  same  road  that 
his  bare,  boyish  feet  had  so  often  trodden,  and  with 
every  inch  of  which  he  was  as  familiar  as  with  the 


"In  the  Height  of  the  Season"      317 

face  of  his  best  friend.  There  were  the  choke-cherry 
bushes  already  glowing  with  their  racemes  of  crimson 
fruit  (how  well  he  remembered  the  pleasant,  puckery 
taste  of  the  tiny  drupes),  and  he  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  even  now  to  climb  the  fence  and  help 
himself  as  in  his  boyish  days,  when  stolen  cherries 
had  a  flavor  that  honestly  earned  ones  seemed, 
somehow,  to  lack.  The  creamy-white  elder  blooms 
and  bright-faced  buttercups  had  a  homely  welcome 
for  him,  while  the  pretty  hedge  sparrow  perched  upon 
the  topmost  rail  of  the  orchard  fence  sang  just  the 
same  song,  and  preened  his  dainty  feathers  with  the 
same  air  as  did  his  great-great-grandfather  before 
him.  If  men  had  changed  and  grown  old,  Nature  had 
not,  and  the  gladness  of  his  heart  found  expression 
in  a  whistled  tune,  so  blithe  and  care  free  that  the 
sparrow  tilted  his  saucy  head  to  catch  the  note,  and 
an  ambitious  bobolink  started  up  from  the  neighboring 
clover  field,  and  tried  his  best  to  join  in  the  wordless 
chorus. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

"  FLOW    SOFTLY,   RHYMES,  —  HIS  HAND   IS   ON 
THE   DOOR" 

IF  Franz  had  imagined  that  his  arrival  was  unknown 
at  the  farmhouse  all  this  time,  he  was  greatly 
mistaken,  for  Mandy,  who  was  ordering  her  dinner  at 
the  village  market,  and  at  the  same  time  keeping  a 
sharp  lookout  for  the  incoming  boat,  had  caught 
sight  of  him  as  he  rode  with  General  Humbre  to  the 
hotel,  and  had  lost  no  time  in  carrying  the  news  home, 
thereby  throwing  the  whole  household  into  a  ferment 
of  delighted  anticipation. 

Apart  from  her  own  natural  longing  to  see  him, 
Comfort  could  not  but  enter  heart  and  soul  into  Lois's 
rapturous  delight,  and  if  Miss  Delphine  who,  to  use 
the  common  phrase,  had  "  never  been  there  herself," 
wondered  a  little  over  the  girl's  enthusiastic,  and,  it 
seemed  to  her,  extravagant  expressions  of  joy,  her 
kind  heart  would  never  have  allowed  her  for  an  instant 
to  dampen  that  joy  by  appearing  indifferent  to  it. 
Even  Mrs.  Humbre,  having  once  resigned  herself  to 
the  inevitable,  magnanimously  refrained  from  any 
slighting  comment,  even  going  so  far  as  to  suggest 
that  an  order  be  sent  to  her  dressmaker  in  Boston 
immediately,  to  have  the  necessarily  limited  trousseau 
gotten  ready  as  soon  as  possible. 


"Flow  Softly,  Rhymes"  319 

"  If,  as  you  say,  my  dear,  he  will  have  to  sail  for 
Europe  by  the  first  of  October,  you  will  have  to  be 
married  here,  and  a  wedding  dress  would  be  just 
foolishness,  with  nobody  to  see  it.  I  will  write 
Madame  to  make  your  travelling  dress  handsome 
enough  for  you  to  be  married  in  and  —  oh,  did  you 
know  that  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Hianmity  was  expected 
here  next  month?  We  must  have  him  perform  the 
marriage  ceremony,  and  I  should  like  to  ask  Miss 
Van  Tucker,  —  " 

"  The  old  cat !  "  muttered  Lois  under  her  breath. 

"  And  young  Tadpole  and  his  sister,  —  " 

"  They  '11  be  frogs  one  of  these  days  when  their 
rich  Aunt  Betty  dies,  —  yes?" 

"  And  Mrs.  Stuyvesant  Smythe  (you  know  what 
splendid  wedding  presents  she  always  gives)." 

"  Oh,  the  jingling  of  the  guinea !  "  quoted  Lois, 
half  angry,  half  ashamed  of  all  this  sordid  calculation, 
and  yet,  laughing  in  spite  of  herself,  at  the  idea  of 
the  incongruous  elements  that  were  to  be  brought 
together  on  the  occasion  of  her  marriage,  —  then 
soberly:  "  I  'm  afraid  they  would  n't  consider  it  any 
honor,  auntie,  to  be  invited  to  a  marriage  like  mine. 
Franz  and  I  are  very  prosaic,  common  kind  of  folk, 
once  out  from  under  your  wing,  and  the  few  thou 
sands  that  he  will  get  from  the  sale  of  his  land  will 
only  serve  as  a  stepping-stone  to  something  greater. 
To  people  who  pay  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  a 
summer  cottage,  our  little  fortune,  important  as  it  is 
to  us,  will  make  us  of  very  little  importance  to 
them." 

Mrs.  Humbre  sighed,  and  looked  reproachfully  at 


320  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

her  foster-child.  "  And  to  think  that  you  might,  if 
only—" 

"There,  there,  auntie,  —  none  of  that,  please." 

And  emphasizing  her  words  with  a  kiss,  Lois  hur 
ried  off  to  find  Comfort,  and  consult  with  her  as  to 
the  probable  time  it  would  take  Franz  to  change  his 
clothes,  and  eat  his  dinner  (that  is,  if  his  impatience 
would  allow  him  to  wait  for  dinner),  and  walk  the 
scant  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  farmhouse,  —  allowing, 
of  course,  the  few  minutes  that  he  would  naturally 
spend  with  Robert.  To  Comfort's  suggestion  that 
he  might  be  detained  by  meeting  old  friends,  who 
would  be  sure  to  claim  his  attention  if  it  was  once 
known  that  he  had  arrived,  Lois  was  incredulous, 
almost  indignant. 

"  Who,  pray,  did  he  come  across  the  ocean  to  see?  a 
lot  of  old  codgers,  whose  names  even  he  had  probably 
forgotten  by  this  time,  or  his  promised  wife  ?  He  must 
be  a  queer  kind  of  a  lover  who  would  hang  about  the 
hotel  talking  to  Tom,  Dick,  and  Harry,  when  his  lady 
love  was  waiting  for  him  not  fifteen  minutes'  walk 
away.  Would  n't  it  be  well  to  have  an  early  lunch,  so 
that  they  could  get  into  their  afternoon  dresses  before 
he  came  ?  For  her  part,  she  should  wear  that  beautiful 
embroidered  muslin  that  she  had  on  in  Vienna  that 
evening,  —  the  first  time  she  had  met  him  after  they 
went  abroad.  It  was  dreadfully  out  of  style,  to  be 
sure,  but  it  was  always  becoming,  and  with  a  cluster 
of  those  rosy  bronze  woodbine  leaves  from  Granny's 
cabin  it  would  be  charming,  quite  unique,  and  — 

"  Antique,"  supplemented  her  friend  teasingly. 

With  the  knowledge  that  Franz  was  really  at  home 


"Flow  Softly,  Rhymes"  321 

again,  Comfort's  heart  had  grown  strangely  light  and 
hopeful,  and  she  was  equally  ready  to  sympathize 
with  or  jest  at  the  whimsical  fancies  of  his  volatile 
bride-elect.  But  as  the  hours,  in  spite  of  the  early 
lunch,  dragged  wearily  by,  Lois's  high  spirits  sank, 
little  by  little,  until,  after  passing  through  the  various 
stages  of  unrest,  disappointment,  and  the  deepest 
despondency,  she  reached  that  of  dignified  resent 
ment,  where  she  firmly  declared  her  determination  to 
refuse  to  see  him  when  he  did  come.  "  If  indeed  he 
comes  at  all,"  with  a  scorn  that  her  tears  belied. 

Very  likely,  now  that  he  was  sure  of  her,  she  had 
lost  all  value  in  his  eyes,  —  that  was  always  the  way, 
—  it  is  what  men  want,  not  what  they  have  that  is 
dear  to  them.  Perhaps,  —  stranger  things  had  hap 
pened,  —  he  had  met  with  some  one  he  liked  better, 
some  beauty  and  heiress  who  had  made  him  forget 
his  penniless  fiancee  across  the  Atlantic,  and  now  he 
delayed  his  coming,  dreading  to  break  the  news  to 
her.  Not  that  he  need  trouble  himself,  —  she  was 
willing  to  give  him  back  his  plighted  troth  whenever 
he  wished  it,  —  no  doubt  she  could  find  a  bridegroom 
as  easily  as  he  a  bride.  And  by  way  of  relieving  her 
overcharged  feelings,  she  sat  down  at  the  parlor 
organ  near  the  open  window,  and  sang  religiously 
through  from  beginning  to  end  (and  without  so  much 
as  a  glance  at  the  village  road,  in  plain  sight)  the 
song  that  tells  the  sad  fate  of  "The  three  old  maids 
of  Lee." 

Her  usually  clear,  sweet  voice  was  so  hoarse  and 
husky  with  tears  that  only  a  lover's  ear  could  have 
recognized  it,  and  even  he,  as  he  stood  unseen  in  the 


322  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

open  doorway,  wondered  if  it  could  be  the  bright 
winsome  girl  whom  he  had  pictured  hastening  to 
meet  him,  all  smiles  and  blushes,  who  sang  with 
drooping  head  and  doleful  accents  the  mournful 
refrain : 

"  And  there  they  are,  and  there  they  '11  be, 
To  the  end  of  the  chapter,  three  times  three,  — 
Those  three  old  maids  of  Lee." 

The  tender  touch  of  loving  hands  upon  her  startled 
shoulders,  and  kisses  that  no  other  had  the  right  to 
give,  upon  cheek  and  lips,  broke  the  spell  of  jealous 
doubt  and  fear,  and  with  a  glad  cry  the  girl  forgot 
her  wounded  dignity,  and  all  that  dreary  list  of 
imagined  infidelities,  and  laid  her  head  upon  her 
lover's  breast,  shedding  tears  no  longer  of  doubt  but 
of  loving  certainty. 

"  You  were  a  long  time  getting  here,"  she  faltered 
at  last,  with  a  weak  attempt  at  reproachfulness. 

Franz's  own  eyes  were  moist,  and  his  voice  a  trifle 
unsteady,  as  he  hastened  to  apologize. 

"  So  many  old  friends  crowded  to  see  me  that  I 
could  n't  get  away,  although  I  was  dying  to." 

A  dreadfully  natural  and  prosaic  reason,  but  Lois 
took  it  as  complacently  as  if  a  tornado  or  earthquake 
had  been  the  real  cause  of  the  delay  that  made 
such  a  commotion  in  her  own  day,  and  it  is  doubt 
ful  if,  even  at  this  hour,  Franz  has  quite  unravelled 
the  mystery  of  that  mood  that  so  bewildered  him  by 
its  fantastic  intermingling  of  pathos  and  humor. 

As  Comfort  had  foreseen,  Franz  proved  himself 
the  very  friend  in  need  that  she  had  hoped  for,  and 
while  he  listened  with  honest  indignation  to  the  story 


"Flow  Softly,  Rhymes"  323 

of  her  wrongs,  he  cheered  her  with  hopeful  proph 
ecies  of  better  times  in  the  near  future. 

"  Jotham  is  a  big  man  among  the  Bar  Harborites, 
and  he  would  n't  like  to  have  it  known,  for  his  own 
sake,  that  he  was  cheating  his  sister  out  of  her  rights. 
So  long  as  you  are  willing  that  I  should  try  what  I 
can  do,  I  '11  just  put  the  matter  to  him  in  such  a  light 
that  he  '11  be  ashamed  to  stand  in  the  way  of  your 
happiness  any  longer." 

"  I  'm  afraid  you  don't  know  him,"  urged  the  girl 
doubtfully,  "  but  perhaps  he  will  listen  to  you." 

And  Franz  in  his  heart  was  very  sure  that  he 
would.  Jotham  had  met  him  with  such  a  show  of 
hearty  good-will,  and  had  even  put  himself  out  a 
good  deal  to  aid  him  in  the  disposal  of  his  land,  — 
indeed  his  good  offices  had  added  several  hundreds 
to  the  modest  fortune  realized  from  the  sale  of  his 
small  patrimony,  —  and  with  the  unsuspicious  hope 
fulness  of  his  nature,  the  young  man  believed  it 
would  be  an  easy  thing  for  him  to  gain  for  Comfort 
the  permission  she  wished. 

From  Lois's  eager  confidences,  no  less  than  from 
his  own  observation,  he  soon  learned  how  matters 
stood  between  his  friends,  and  he  honestly  believed 
that  if  Jotham  only  knew  how  deeply  his  sister's  hap 
piness  was  involved,  he  would  be  ashamed  to  stand 
in  the  way  of  her  marriage  with  a  man  of  Robert 
Humbre's  character  and  position.  With  these  thoughts 
in  his  mind,  he  took  occasion  to  make  an  early  call 
upon  the  prosperous  publican,  who,  in  the  fulness 
of  his  hospitality,  actually  invited  him  into  the  inner 
sanctuary  of  his  establishment,  where  the  affable 


324  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Tabby  received  him  (figuratively  speaking)  with 
open  arms. 

It  was  so  delightful  to  see  him  again,  and  did  he 
remember  that  evening  at  Baden-Baden,  and  how 
beau-ti-fully  the  band  played,  and  what  fun  it  was 
to  watch  the  people  at  the  gaming  tables,  and  how 
horribly  the  mineral  water  tasted  (though  one  had 
to  drink  it  for  fashion's  sake),  and  the  promenading 
and  the  riding  and  the  crowds  of  elegantly  dressed 
folks !  Oh,  it  was  heavenly !  And  Tabby  turned 
up  the  whites  of  her  eyes,  and  clasped  her  pudgy 
hands  in  a  very  ecstacy  of  retrospection.  And  Franz, 
who  had  seen  scores  of  just  such  silly  dames  before, 
good  naturedly  followed  her  lead,  and  laughed  and 
chatted  about  nothing,  venturing  now  and  then  upon 
a  prettily  turned  compliment  that  threw  the  flattered 
Tabby  into  a  perfect  twitter  of  delight. 

She  bantered  him  about  his  forthcoming  marriage, 
and  at  last,  in  the  fulness  of  her  neighborly  kindness, 
actually  hinted  that,  if  he  desired,  the  spacious  parlors 

of  the House  would  be  at  their  disposal  for  a 

wedding  reception.  Nothing  would  give  her  greater 
pleasure  than  to  present  her  guests  and  friends  to 
them,  —  adding,  with  a  naivete  that  made  the  young 
man  smile  shrewdly  behind  his  blond  mustache : 

"  It  is  so  romantic  this  match  of  yours,  and  every 
body  is  on  tiptoe  to  get  a  look  at  you.  Three  of  the 
most  aristocratic  ladies  who  own  cottages  here,  and 
who  never  spoke  to  me  before,  asked  an  introduction 
when  they  heard  that  we  were  old  friends,  and  I 
might  be  able  to  help  them  to  an  acquaintance  with 
you.  It  is  so  dull  here  just  now,"  she  continued 


"  Flow  Softly,  Rhymes "  325 

plaintively.  "  Earlier  in  the  season  there  was  an 
escaped  convict  from  Siberia,  and  a  real  Chinese 
mandarin.  But  they  've  been  gone  some  time  now, 
and  there  really  is  n't  anybody  uncommon  enough 
now  to  interest  people." 

Franz  laughed  outright,  and  the  steady  blue  eyes 
sparkled  with  mischief. 

"  I  'm  afraid  Lois  might  object  to  being  put  up  for 
a  show,  in  default  of  a  supply  of  convicts  and  manda 
rins,"  he  said,  with  a  sly  drollery  that  the  obtuse 
Tabby  failed  to  see  the  reason  for.  "  For  myself, 
I'd  submit  to  almost  anything  in  that  line  to  gratify 
my  friends." 

He  bowed  so  courteously  that  Tabby  thought  he 
really  meant  to  compliment  her,  and  was  flattered 
and  pleased  accordingly.  But  after  he  had  gone, 
and  she  had  time  and  space  for  reflection,  her  natural 
shrewdness  began  to  get  the  better  of  her  vanity, 
and  an  uneasy  remembrance  of  the  mocking  mischief 
in  his  eyes,  made  her  reflect  with  annoyance: 

"  Comfort  's  filled  his  ears  with  stories  about  us, 
and  that  's  why,  inside,  he  's  making  fun  of  us  all 
the  time.  I  told  Jotham  only  yesterday  that  I  'd 
bet  anything  she  'd  put  him  up  to  get  our  consent 
to  her  selling  that  land."  A  heavy  frown  darkened 
her  matronly  face,  and  a  greed  as  cruel  as  that  of  her 
sordid  mate  distorted  for  a  moment  her  unguarded 
features.  "  But  I  '11  risk  Jotham." 

The  words  came  hissing  through  her  shut  teeth, 
with  a  venomous  emphasis  that  few  would  have  given 
the  shallow,  vain,  easy-going  woman  the  capability  of, 
and  she  glanced  involuntarily  toward  the  empty  chair 


326  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

where  her  late  visitor  had  sat,  as  if  challenging  that 
mute  witness  to  mar  her  confidence  in  the  hardness 
and  cunning  that  had  heretofore  been  her  best 
weapons  in  an  encounter  with  the  world  generally. 
Suddenly  the  glitter  of  some  small  object  on  the 
carpet  beneath  the  chair  attracted  her  attention, 
and  picking  it  up  she  found  it  to  be  a  small  silver 
key  of  a  peculiar  shape,  that  she  had  noticed  sus 
pended  from  the  young  man's  watch  chain,  her  at 
tention  having  been  called  to  it  by  his  habit  when  in 
conversation  of  absently  playing  with  it,  in  which  way 
it  must  have  become  detached,  and  fallen  unheeded 
upon  the  carpet  at  his  feet.  Her  first  impulse  was 
to  ring  for  a  call  boy,  and  send  the  trinket  to  its 
owner,  who  was,  as  she  well  knew,  closeted  with  her 
husband  in  his  private  office.  Then,  struck  with  a 
sudden  thought,  she  withdrew  her  hand,  and  with  a 
strange  pallor  creeping  over  her  face,  began  to 
examine  more  minutely  the  curious  toy. 

It  was  not  a  watch  key,  that  could  be  seen  at  a 
glance,  and  as  Tabby  turned  it  over  and  over,  search 
ing  in  vain  for  some  sign  or  inscription  upon  it, 
the  frightened  look  gave  way  to  one  of  dogged  deter 
mination,  as,  having  first  taken  care  to  secure  the 
door  of  her  room,  she  seated  herself  before  the  hand 
some  escritoire  that  occupied  a  conspicuous  place 
in  the  inner  room,  and  with  a  key  from  her  own 
chatelaine,  unlocked  the  upper  part,  and  selecting 
one  of  the  smaller  drawers,  pressed  her  thumb  firmly 
against  the  spring  that  confined  it.  It  was  not  the 
first  time  by  many  that  she  had,  unknown  to  him, 
penetrated  to  this  her  husband's  private  repository 


"Flow  Softly,  Rhymes"  327 

for  such  valuable  papers  as  he  did  not  care  to  leave 
in  his  office  desk,  and  she  knew  just  where  to  put 
her  hand  upon  the  curiously  carved  oaken  box, 
black  with  age,  and  bound  with  bands  of  tarnished 
silver,  that  had  grown  dim  by  long  seclusion  and 
disuse.  She  knew,  for  her  husband  had  once  in  con 
fidence  acknowledged  as  much,  that,  for  want  of 
a  key  the  casket  had  never  been  opened  since  it 
came  into  his  possession.  More  than  this,  she  re 
membered  that  years  ago,  on  his  first  visit  after 
Granny's  death,  she  had  seen  a  small  silver  key  in 
Franz's  possession,  and  overheard  him  telling  her 
mother  that  it  was  the  key  to  the  stolen  casket,  and 
that  Mrs.  Hadlock  finding  it  under  the  old  woman's 
pillow,  after  her  death,  had  kept  it  for  him. 

Could  this  be  the  key?  Her  brain  reeled  at  the 
thought,  and  her  fingers  trembled  so  that  she  had 
much  ado  to  fit  the  tiny  instrument  to  the  lock 
while  a  low,  grating  sound  as  she  slowly  and  with 
considerable  difficulty  turned  it,  made  her  start  and 
tremble  with  a  nervous  apprehension,  that  had  in  it 
more  of  superstition  than  actual  fear  of  any  possible 
danger  to  herself  in  thus  intruding  upon  the  hidden 
secret  of  years. 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 

"WITH   JEWELED    GAUDS,   AND   TOYS   OF    IVORY" 

"PSHAW!  Them  old  duds!  Why,  they  ain't 
•*•  worth  five  dollars,  the  whole  parcel  of  'em." 
And  Mistress  Tabby  cast  disdainful  glances  upon 
the  quaint  silver  ornaments,  dulled  and  discolored  as 
they  were,  that  met  her  eyes  upon  the  opening  of  the 
mysterious  casket 

What  she  had  really  expected  to  find  it  would  be 
hard  to  say.  Perhaps  visions  of  rare  gems,  heirlooms, 
handed  down  from  some  old  Viking  ancestor,  had 
floated  before  her  mental  vision,  and  cheated  her 
with  the  fancy  that  anything  worth  such  careful 
hoarding  must  of  necessity  possess  great  moneyed 
value, — the  only  standard  of  worth  of  which  she  had 
any  conception.  And  what  had  she  found?  Only  a 
few  tarnished  silver  trinkets  that,  resting  upon  their 
bed  of  faded  purple  velvet,  seemed  to  taunt  her  with 
their  worthlessness.  Years  of  secrecy  and  darkness, 
and  jealous  seclusion,  and  this  was  the  outcome  of  it 
all,  —  a  pair  of  bracelets  or  anklets  (they  were  big 
enough  for  the  latter),  and  great  unwieldy  looking 
earrings,  better  suited  to  an  Indian  brave  than  to  be 
worn  in  the  delicate  ear  of  a  fashionable  lady. 

As  she  impatiently  closed  the  lid  of  the  casket  and 
replaced  it  in  the  cobwebbed  corner  where  it  had  lain 
undisturbed  for  so  many  years,  there  came  a  tap  at 


"With  Jeweled  Gauds"  329 

the  door  of  the  room,  and  a  feminine  voice  called 
from  without : 

"  Can  I  come  in?  " 

"  In  just  a  minute." 

And  hastily  closing  the  escritoire,  Mrs.  Tabby 
hastened  to  unlock  the  door  of  her  chamber  and 
admit  her  visitor,  a  slender,  dark-eyed  woman,  in 
dainty  morning  negligee,  who  threw  herself  into  the 
easiest  chair  in  the  room  with  a  long-drawn  sigh  and 
the  discontented  comment: 

"  I  'm  completely  worn  out  with  this  everlasting 
planning  and  contriving  for  other  people.  I  do  wish 
that  somebody  would  scare  up  an  idea  of  her  own, 
once  in  a  while,  and  not  call  on  me  to  rack  my  brains 
for  their  benefit,  every  time." 

Tabby  smiled  significantly,  but  it  was  not  her  place 
to  remind  the  complaining  visitor  that  that  was  just 
what  she  was  there  for,  to  serve  upon  occasion,  as 
the  getter-up  of  fanciful  costumes  for  those  who  were 
willing  to  pay  handsomely  for  the  originality  and 
artistic  skill  by  which  they  were  to  benefit,  so  she 
only  said : 

"There  are  people  here  who  would  hire  somebody 
to  breathe  for  'em  if  they  could.  But  how  are  things 
getting  on?  Have  most  of  the  ladies  decided  on  their 
costumes?  " 

"  Decided  !  "  and  Mrs.  Lane,  —  or  as  she  was  known 
to  the  Bar  Harbor  fashionables  —  Madame  Blondine, 
rolled  up  her  eyes  and  shrugged  her  graceful 
shoulders  with  a  Frenchified  air.  "  I  am  half  wild 
with  their  quibbles  and  silly  notions.  Why  is  it," 
letting  her  hands  fall  helplessly  upon  the  arms  of  her 


3 30  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

chair,  and  lifting  eyes  at  once  appealing  and  desper 
ate  to  the  face  of  her  landlady,  "  that  every  woman 
over  forty  wants  to  take  the  part  of  a  flower  girl  or  a 
Hebe?" 

Tabby  laughed  good  naturedly,  —  she  was  still 
young  enough  herself  to  enjoy  this  fling  at  her 
elders. 

"  I  'm  sure  I  don't  know.  But  how  is  it  with  the 
girls?" 

Madame  wrung  her  slender  hands  distractedly. 

"  Worse  still.  Why,  that  little  chit  of  a  Kitty  Van- 
dermere  insists  upon  going  as  a  nun,  and  Pet  Tadpole 
will  personate  Bar  Harbor  Fog,  —  all  in  grey  tulle, 
without  a  bit  of  color  to  lighten  her  up — just  think 
of  it !  I  've  talked  and  reasoned  and  implored,  but 
all  to  no  purpose,  —  I  might  as  well  talk  to  the  fog 
itself.  It 's  awfully  provoking." 

But  somehow  Tabby  did  n't  seem  to  lay  it  to  heart 
so  very  much  that  two  of  the  belles  of  the  season 
should  persist  in  making  frights  of  themselves  at  the 
forthcoming  masquerade. 

"  But  there  are  the  Celandines,  —  they  are  lazy  and 
indifferent  enough  to  let  you  have  your  own  way,  and 
choose  whatever  you  think  best." 

"  Yes,"  and  Madame  brightened  up  a  little,  "  and 
I  'm  determined  that  they  shall  make  a  sensation  just 
to  spite  those  other  wilful  things,  if  for  nothing  else. 
I've  an  idea,  —  are  you  sure,"  sinking  her  voice  to  a 
mysterious  whisper,  and  peering  sharply  about  her, 
even  under  the  chairs  and  couch,  — "  that  there  is 
nobody  within  hearing?" 

Tabby  hastened  to  reassure  her. 


"With  Jeweled  Gauds"  331 

"Ah,  well,  I  don't  mind  telling  you,  although  I 
would  n't  have  it  get  out  for  the  world,  —  but  I  'm 
tired  to  death  of  all  these  Greek  goddesses,  and 
queens,  and  flower  girls,  and  gypsies, — they're 
completely  worn  out,  as  stale  as  stale  can  be, — so 
I  'm  going  to  try  something  new  in  getting  up  cos 
tumes  for  the  Celandines." 

"  What  is  it?     Do  tell !  "  urged  the  curious  Tabby. 

Madame  looked  at  her  with  a  doubtful  air. 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  Norse  goddess  of  spring, 
Freya?  or  of  Thor  the  Thunderer?  " 

She  evidently  expected  a  negative,  but  Tabby  had 
not  quite  forgotten  the  legends  with  which  Granny 
Hedvig  used  to  delight  the  children  of  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  somewhat  to  the  customer's  surprise  she 
returned  an  animated 

"  Oh,  land  !  Yes,  indeed  !  I  knew  all  about  them 
years  ago." 

"What,  really?"  and  Madame  seemed  for  a  mo 
ment  somewhat  disconcerted,  —  she  had  not  cal 
culated  upon  finding  this  vulgar,  under-bred  woman, 
whom  she  secretly  despised,  so  well  up  in  Norse 
mythology,  —  "  Well,  I  shall  dress  young  Celandine 
as  Thor  and  his  sister  as  Freya." 

"  Even  to  the  cats?"  laughed  Tabby. 

"  Yes,  we  have  two  splendid  coon  cats  that  we  have 
hired  for  the  occasion,  and  Miss  Celandine  and  I  prac 
tice  them  two  or  three  hours  every  day  in  her  room. 
You  would  be  astonished  to  see  how  tractable  they 
are,  —  she  drove  them  in  the  silken  harness  that  I 
contrived,  for  almost  half  an  hour  yesterday,  and  they 
never  once  balked.  You  may  guess  what  a  big  plate 


332  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

of  chicken  they  got  for  a  reward  that  time.     Miss 
Celandine  was  perfectly  wild  with  delight." 
"But  could  you  hire  the  costumes,  too?" 
"  No,"  and  Madame's  tone  bespoke  the  triumph  of 
a  great  mind  over  seemingly  insurmountable  difficul 
ties,  — "  with   the   help  of  her   maid  I   made   them 
myself." 

It  was  just  a  little  spiteful  in  Tabby  to  withhold  the 
praise  that  the  ingenious  lady's  feat  certainly  deserved, 
but  Tabby  could  be  spiteful  on  occasion,  and  the 
Celandines  had  never  condescended  to  notice  her,  so 
she  only  asked  with  hardly  a  trace  of  the  curiosity 
that  was  inwardly  consuming  her: 

"  Really?  Well,  how  did  you  make  out?  " 
"  Admirably.  The  costumes  are  perfect  with  only 
one  exception,  and  that  is  the  silver  ornaments  that 
Freya  should  wear.  If  there  was  only  time  Miss 
Celandine  could  send  to  New  York  and  have  some 
made  to  order,  but  it  is  too  late  now.  We  have  tried 
everywhere  to  buy,  hire,  or  borrow  something  of  the 
kind,  but  nobody  has  anything  that  is  antique  enough 
for  our  purpose,  and  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  make 
some  modern  stuff  do.  But  it  just  breaks  my  heart 
to  see  a  lot  of  bangles  and  modern  trumpery  putting 
to  shame  the  royal  velvet  and  graceful  draperies  of  a 
Norse  goddess." 

For  a  full  minute  Tabby  pondered  the  question, 
"should  she,  or  should  she  not?"  Madame  had  it  in 
her  power  to  do  her  no  end  of  favors  in  the  social 
line,  and  it  was  wise  to  keep  the  right  side  of  her. 
Then  there  were  the  Celandines,  young  and  foolish, 
and  very  rich,  and  a  loan  just  now  was  sure  to  be  re- 


"With  Jeweled  Gauds"  333 

paid,  not  only  by  some  elegant  token  of  their  grati 
tude,  but  in  a  way  that  would  be  of  even  more  value 
to  her  aspiring  soul,  —  a  recognition  of  her  claims  to 
social  equality.  It  could  do  no  possible  harm  to  let 
these  hidden  trinkets  see  the  light  for  one  evening, 
and  no  human  being  would  for  an  instant  mistrust 
that  they  were  not  the  young  lady's  own  property,  — 
they  might  have  been  an  heirloom  in  her  own  family, 
—  who  would  know?  To  Madame  she  remarked 
with  feigned  reluctance  as,  taking  from  its  hiding 
place  the  oaken  casket,  she  proceeded  to  unlock 
it  before  her  eyes : 

"  I  have  some  silver  ornaments  that  are  old  enough, 
if  that's  what  you  want.  They  have  been  in  my  hus 
band's  family  for  generations  (O  Tabby!),  and  he's 
very  choice  of  them.  I  have  n't  never  had  'em  on 
myself,  but  if  they  'd  do  Miss  Celandine  any  good, 
she  's  welcome  to  the  use  of  'em." 

The  smile  of  polite  indifference  with  which  the 
costumer  at  first  sight  regarded  the  tarnished  trinkets 
vanished  as  she  regarded  them  more  closely,  and  an 
eager  crimson  rose  to  her  cheek  as  she  cried 
excitedly : 

"Why,  they're  lovely!  exquisite!  They  might 
have  been  made  to  wear  with  this  costume.  See 
here,"  taking  a  bit  of  chamois  skin  from  her  pocket 
and  touching  up  one  of  the  earrings  with  the  skill  of 
a  professional,  —  "  what  a  dainty  thing  it  is,  —  a  cat's 
head,  with  tiny  emeralds  for  eyes,  —  and  see,  the 
whiskers  are  separate  hairs  of  silver  wire  as  fine  and 
delicate  as  pussy's  own.  How  perfect  this  twig  of 
pine  that  forms  the  support  is,  with  its  cones  and  bits 


334  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

of  needles,  each  one  wrought  as  carefully  as  if  the 
workman  had  been  engraving  a  gem  instead  of  work 
ing  in  such  common  metal  as  silver." 

"  They  are  very  old,"  stammered  Tabby,  bewildered 
and  in  truth  rather  alarmed  at  the  unexpected  dis 
closure  of  the  value  and  rarity  of  the  hitherto  under 
valued  trinkets. 

And  Madame,  unconscious  of  her  companion's 
growing  perplexity,  went  on  innocently  enough  to 
express  her  thanks  for  the  timely  loan. 

"  I  was  never  so  relieved  and  thankful  in  my  life  as 
I  am  for  these  ornaments,  and  if  I  can  oblige  you  in 
any  way  I  shall  be  only  too  happy  to  do  so.  You 
have  decided  on  the  Sea  Nymph's  costume  for  your 
self  ?  Yes?  Well,  I'll  get  a  bandeau  of  pearls  for 
your  hair,  and  I  know  where  I  can  borrow  a  clasp  for 
your  girdle,  —  two  sea-urchins  of  green  jasper, — that 
will  be  just  the  thing." 

Tabby  swallowed  down  her  half-spoken  refusal  to 
let  the  ornaments  go  out  of  her  hands,  after  all,  and 
with  a  troubled  consciousness  that  she  was  "  in  for 
it,"  she  decided  that  there  was  nothing  left  for  her  to 
do  but  to  run  her  risk,  as  it  was  not  in  the  least 
likely  that  any  harm  could  come  to  the  treasured 
relics  during  the  few  hours  that  the  masquerading 
belle  would  have  occasion  to  wear  them.  One  pre 
caution  she  took,  however,  in  parting  with  them,  and 
that  was  to  remove  them  from  the  casket  where  they 
had  so  long  rested,  which  casket  she  hastened  to  lock 
and  replace  in  the  secret  drawer,  with  the  confiden 
tial  comment,  "  They  are  Mr.  Hadlock's  property, 
and  it  will  be  just  as  well  not  to  let  him  know  that  I 


"  With  Jeweled  Gauds  "  335 

lent  them,  —  men  are  so  fussy,  you  know,  about  any 
thing  that  belongs  to  them." 

Madame  smiled  grimly,  —  she  had  been  twice  mar 
ried  herself. 

The  precaution  proved  a  wise  one,  for  that  very 
night,  awaking  from  an  uneasy  dream,  Tabby  saw 
with  silent  astonishment  her  husband,  by  the  dim 
light  of  a  night  lamp,  searching  in  that  private  drawer, 
and  as  his  hand  touched  the  oaken  casket  he  uttered 
a  low  exclamation  of  relief. 

"  Thank  goodness  !     That 's  all  right." 

"  What  in  the  world  are  you  after  there,  this  time 
o'  night?" 

If  he  had  been  a  whit  less  nervous  and  startled  him 
self  he  could  not  have  failed  to  notice  the  tremulous, 
frightened  tones  of  his  wife's  voice,  but  he  was  too 
absorbed  in  his  own  anxious  speculations  just  then  to 
spare  a  thought  to  her. 

"  I  've  been  looking,"  he  stammered  with  a  guilty 
shrinking  from  even  her  eyes,  "  to  see  if  that  box 
(that  you  know  about)  is  all  safe.  I  dreamed  that 
Franz  Hedvig  had  it,  filled  with  gunpowder,  and  that 
he  was  going  to  blow  us  up  with  it,  and  I  could  n't 
sleep  till  I  'd  made  sure  that  't  was  safe." 

"  Stuff  and  nonsense !  "  blustered  Tabby,  shaking 
in  every  limb,  "  What  could  have  set  you  out  to 
think  of  such  a  thing?  " 

Her  husband  shut  the  drawer  with  a  stealthy  motion 
as  of  a  thief  fearing  detection. 

"  Why,  I  s'pose  't  was  what  he  said  to  me  about 
Comfort  to-day  that  put  the  idea  into  my  head." 

Tabby  was  wide  awake  now,  and  as  she  sat  up  in 


336  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

bed  furtively  watching  his  motions,  her  eyes  shone 
with  a  light  that  was  not  all  anger,  —  there  was  fear 
as  well  as  rage  beneath  the  sharply  put  question : 

"What  business  is  it  of  his?  He  don't  want  to 
marry  her  himself,  does  he,  after  all?" 

"  No,  but  he  wants  that  Humbre  to.  And  Com 
fort,  who 's  as  proud  as  the  devil,  won't  have  him 
without  his  mother's  consent.  That  the  old  lady 
never  '11  give  while  she  's  poor." 

Tabby  lay  back  on  her  pillow  with  a  cruel  laugh. 

"That's  the  way  the  wind  blows,  is  it?  So,  my 
lady,  if  she  can  get  your  consent  to  sell  her  land,  is 
going  to  get  in  with  the  top  knots,  and  have  the 
chance  to  crow  over  us" 

Jotham  shut  his  heavy  mouth  with  a  vicious  snap. 

"  Not  if  I  know  myself,"  he  growled  savagely, 
"  and  I  said  as  much  to  Hedvig.  Says  I,  '  Comfort 
Hadlock  knows  who  she  can  sell  that  land  to,  and  I 
swear  before  God,  that  as  long  as  I  live,  she  never 
shall  sell  it  to  anybody  else.'  " 

"  What  did  he  say  to  that?  " 

"  What  do  you  suppose  ?  "  with  a  harsh  laugh. 

"  Called  me  an  unnatural  brother,  of  course,  and 
swore  he  'd  bring  me  to  terms  yet.  He  's  the  same 
blustering  fool,"  went  on  Jotham,  with  the  superi 
ority  of  one  who  feels  his  own  position  secure,  — 
"  ready  to  burn  his  own  fingers  pulling  other  folks' 
chestnuts  out  o'  the  fire,  but  I  guess  he  '11  find  it  hard 
work  drivin'  me.  I  ain't  one  o'  the  sort  that  stands 
much  o'  that  kind  o'  nonsense." 

True, —  and  yet  Tabby,  as  she  laid  her  head  once 
more  upon  its  pillow,  wished  with  all  her  heart  that 


"With  Jeweled  Gauds"  337 

the  contents  of  that  fateful  casket  were  safe  in  her 
own  hands  once  more,  and  that  she  had  not  yielded 
to  that  foolish  impulse  to  risk  even  a  possible  ex 
posure  in  her  desire  to  conciliate  the  social  powers 
whose  notice  she  ambitiously  coveted. 


22 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

"  RICH  AND   RARE  WERE  THE  GEMS   SHE   WORE  " 

FOR  several  weeks  the  fancy  dress  party  that  the 
guests  of  the House  had  arranged  for  had 

been  the  subject  of  interesting  discussion  and  com 
ment  among  the  pleasure-loving  fashionables  of  Bar 
Harbor,  and  an  amount  of  invention  and  shrewd 
finesse  had  been  expended  on  the  selection  and 
arrangement  of  costumes,  —  that  must  be  kept  a  pro 
found  secret  even  from  one's  most  intimate  friends  — 
to  have  equipped  and  managed  a  miniature  Worth's 
here  in  the  very  stronghold  of  Yankee  republicanism. 
Madame's  services  were  in  constant  demand,  and 
it  must  be  confessed  that  the  petulant  complaints  of 
that  much  beset  woman  were  not  without  cause,  for, 
while  professing  to  defer  to  her  taste  and  judgment, 
nineteen  out  of  every  twenty  were  sure  that  their  own 
ideas  were  far  better,  and  thus  kept  her  continually 
harassed  and  hampered  by  the  alternate  impor 
tunities  and  objections  that  her  experienced  hand 
was  expected  to  dispose  of  as  easily  as  if  they  had 
been  so  many  irresponsible  cobwebs.  Knowing 
that  her  own  reputation  was  at  stake,  the  costumer 
naturally  tried  her  best  to  contrive  costumes  suitable 
to  the  age  and  personal  characteristics  of  each,  but  it 
would  seem  in  most  cases  that  Queen  Elizabeth's 


"Rich  and  Rare  were  the  Gems"   339 

looking-glass  must  have  been  the  only  one  in  use, 
judging  from  the  youthful  characters  that  certain 
portly,  middle-aged  matrons  and  scrawny  spinsters 
insisted  upon  personating.  It  would  never  do  for  the 
hired  artist  to  say  —  "You  are  too  fat  and  coarse  to 
personate  Titania,  — or  too  lean  and  sallow  to  venture 
on  the  r61e  of  Cleopatra."  No  indeed,  —  she  could 
only  venture  on  the  delicate  reminder,  "  A  Queen 
Catharine  or  possibly  a  Ceres  would  better  fit  your 
style,  madam,"  or  "  Why  not  try  a  gipsy  fortune 
teller  or  a  Breton  peasant  woman?  Either  costume 
could  be  made  very  striking  and  picturesque." 

Again  and  again  these  hints  and  suggestions  were 
repeated,  and  just  as  often  certain  individual  instances 
of  wonderful  stage  rejuvenations,  brought  about  by 
arts  of  the  toilet,  were  produced  as  unanswerable  argu 
ments,  until  the  very  name  of  Maggie  Mitchell  and 
her  illustrious  compeers  became,  to  put  it  politely,  a 
stench  in  poor  Madame's  nostrils,  who  went  so  far  at 
times  in  her  desperation  as  to  wish  that  the  author  of 
"  Mignon  "  had  died  before  the  production  of  that 
popular  drama. 

Of  the  party  at  the  farmhouse  two  only  were  care 
free  enough  to  feel  any  special  interest  in  the  ap 
proaching  f6te.  Secure  and  happy  in  her  own  love, 
Lois  could  not  believe  that  the  uncertainty  and 
gloom  hanging  over  her  friend  would  not  be  in  time 
dispelled,  and  as  Comfort  was  too  unselfish  to  insist 
upon  sharing  her  troubles  with  another,  it  came 
about,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  that  those  nearest 
her  half  forgot  that  she  had  any  troubles  to  share. 
As  for  Frariz,  aside  from  his  enjoyment  of  Lois's 


340  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

pleasure,  he  had  all  the  natural  curiosity  and  interest 
of  a  young  man  who  has,  as  yet,  merely  tasted  the 
foam  upon  the  cup  of  pleasure,  and  finding  the  taste 
pleasant,  naturally  concludes  that  the  sweetness  in 
creases  the  deeper  he  drinks.  Then,  too,  it  was  very 
pleasant  to  have  his  costume  planned  and  commented 
upon  by  his  partial  mistress,  who  took  such  an  inno 
cent,  unaffected  pride  in  its  fitness  and  becomingness. 
James  Fitzjames,  in  hunting  gear,  with  plumed  cap 
and  dress  of  Lincoln  green,  wearing  his  silver  bugle 
and  knightly  belt  and  spurs  with  an  unconscious 
grace  that  Lois  pronounced  "  kingly,"  was  really,  for 
the  time  being,  as  truly  the  disguised  Scottish  mon 
arch  as  the  disguised  Swedish  engineer,  and  if  the 
maiden  in 

"  Satin  snood,  and  silken  plaid,  and  golden  brooch," 

clinging  to  his  arm  as  they  entered  the  large,  bril 
liantly  lighted  room  on  that  eventful  evening,  had 
not  broken  the  spell  with  the  whispered  comment, 
"  Mrs.  Winstanley  makes  a  beautiful  Madame  Re- 
camier,"  he  would  most  surely  have  forgotten  to  doff 
his  cap  to  the  mistress  of  ceremonies,  unconsciously 
exercising  his  royal  prerogative,  and  while  all  stood 
bare  in  the  room,  he  alone  would  have  worn  the  cap 
and  plume  of  the  monarch. 

It  was  such  an  entirely  new  experience,  this  mas 
querading  in  the  dress  and  character  of  another,  and 
cool  and  unimaginative  as  he  was,  both  by  nature 
and  habit,  he  found  himself  completely  bewildered 
and  charmed  by  the  unwonted  scene.  Plumed 
knights  in  glittering  mail  promenaded  through  the 


"Rich  and  Rare  were  the  Gems"    341 

stately  rooms  with  gipsy  maidens  or  Swiss  peasant 
girls  upon  their  arms ;  Cedric,  the  Saxon,  lisped  his 
delicate  compliments  into  the  willing  ear  of  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots;  a  friar  in  gown  of  gray  with  a  hem 
pen  girdle  flirted  shamelessly  with  Lady  Washington; 
and  a  Roman  soldier  with  clumsy  good-will  was  help 
ing  Lady  Macbeth  to  adjust  her  train  over  her  arm  in 
preparation  for  the  coming  waltz. 

Franz's  brain  whirled,  and  he  was  glad  that  Lois 
could  do  the  talking  for  both  until  he  should  have 
time  to  get  his  bearings,  and  make  sure  that  this  glit 
tering  phantasmagoria  was  not,  after  all,  the  foolish 
imagery  of  a  sleep-bewildered  brain.  Little  by  little 
the  mists  cleared  away,  and  he  began  to  recognize 
beneath  their  foreign  feathers  the  familiar  shapes 
and  features  of  his  more  or  less  familiar  acquaint 
ances.  A  good-natured  dowager,  with  her  two  pretty 
daughters,  wearing  the  guise  of  the  Primrose  por 
traits,  gave  them  a  cordial  greeting;  Tabby  Hadlock's 
ruddy  face  looked  out  from  a  cloud  of  sea-green 
tulle,  with  a  furtive,  anxious  glance ;  while  pages, 
queens,  monks,  and  nymphs,  in  passing,  one  and  all 
saluted  them  in  the  English  tongue  and  after  the 
English  fashion  —  not  a  "  salve  "  or  "  pax  vobiscum  " 
by  any  chance  dropped  from  Roman  or  priestly  lips. 
And  Franz,  with  lightened  eyes,  soon  found  him 
self  able  to  share  in  Lois's  amusement  at  incongruities 
of  dress  and  feature  visible  everywhere  about  them, 
as  they  walked  leisurely  through  the  now  crowded 
rooms,  commenting,  and  in  turn  being  commented 
upon,  by  the  gay  assemblage. 

"  See  that  couple,"  and   Lois   gave  her  cavalier's 


342  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

arm  a  little  pinch  to  call  his  attention  to  the  pair  in 
question. 

"  Ichabod  Crane  and  Katrina  Van  Tassel.  They 
are  gotten  up  capitally,  but  who  would  have  thought 
that  such  a  dude  as  Dicky  Tandem  would  have 
chosen  that  character?  Lute  Marven  makes  a  good 
Katrina,  though,  if  only  she  were  a  little  plumper; 
and  Jimmy  Fitz  as  '  Peter,  Peter,  pumpkin  eater,'  is 
first  rate  (if  one  only  leaves  out  the  second  line). 
Madame  Golden  and  Sam  are  just  the  ones  for  Mrs. 
Partington  and  Ike ;  but  who  ever  saw  a  black-eyed, 
black-haired  Queen  Elizabeth  before,  or  a  Puck  in 
velvet  knee  breeches?" 

The  gentle  "  Ellen  "  was  getting  rather  critical,  and 
her  gallant  escort,  while  sharing  her  amusement,  was 
far  more  easily  imposed  upon  by  the  false  lights  that 
art  had  hung  out  to  hide  the  decay  of  nature,  and 
more  than  once  brought  down  upon  his  devoted  head 
the  merry  banter  of  his  sharper-eyed  companion. 

"  That 's  a  wig,  and,  —  why,  she  's  enamelled,  — 
(fifty  years  old,  if  she's  a  day).  Bleached,  — you 
dear  old  innocent!  Never  heard  of  such  a  thing? 
Why,  it  's  as  common  as  painting  the  eyebrows  and 
eating  arsenic  for  the  complexion.  Don't  look  so 
horrified.  Somebody  will  notice  and  wonder  what  I 
am  saying  to  you." 

And  the  silken  plaid  was  "  mantled  with  modest 
care "  over  a  breast  so  shaken  with  merriment  at 
his  innocence  of  fashionable  mysteries,  that  Franz 
was  thankful  for  the  interruption  occasioned  by  a 
new  arrival  that  for  some  reason  seemed  to  attract 
everybody's  attention  and  occasion  a  sudden  lull,  in 


"Rich  and  Rare  were  the  Gems"    343 

which  the  soft  tinkle  of  silver  bells  could  be  distinctly 
heard  throughout  the  crowded  rooms. 

"  The  god  Thor,  and  Freya,  goddess  of  spring," 
announced  the  usher,  and  every  eye  was  turned  to 
the  handsome  pair  who  at  that  moment  entered  the 
room. 

Yellow  haired,  tall  and  stately,  came  the  Scandina 
vian  deities,  the  god  in  tunic  of  purple  velvet,  upon 
the  breast  of  which  gleamed  in  silver  the  raven  of 
Odin.  His  leggings,  sandals,  and  belt  were  clasped 
with  the  same  precious  metal,  while  upon  the  handle 
and  head  of  his  massive  silver  hammer  gleamed 
costly  gems  that  flashed  and  burned  as  the  light 
struck  them,  like  sparks  of  living  fire.  Beside  him 
came  the  fair  goddess,  gravely  guiding  her  span  of 
cats,  docile  as  ponies  in  their  silken  harness,  from  the 
collars  of  which  were  suspended  silver  bells  that 
tinkled  musically  as  the  well-trained  animals  trotted 
before  her  into  the  brilliantly  lighted  room,  with  an 
unconcern  as  perfect  as  that  assumed  by  their  stately 
mistress.  Over  an  under  tunic  of  primrose  silk,  the 
beautiful  Freya  wore  a  mantle  of  green  velvet,  upon 
which  was  painted  with  exquisite  skill  garlands  of 
violets,  of  crocuses,  and  hyacinths,  with  pale  yellow 
primroses  that  seemed  to  have  been  flung  fresh  from 
their  native  woods  upon  the  rich  background.  A 
garland  of  pine  confined  her  flowing  locks,  while 
upon  arms,  bosom,  and  shoulders  gleamed  the  pale 
brilliancy  of  silver  in  the  most  fanciful  and  unique 
designs. 

"  Let  us  get  a  little  nearer,"  suggested  Lois.  "  I 
want  to  get  a  good  look  at  those  lovely  ornaments, 


344  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

Where  in  the  world  could  Virginia  Celandine  have 
found  them?  They  look  like  something  that  has 
been  handed  down  for  generations  from  mother  to 
daughter,  —  and  the  Celandines,  with  all  their  money, 
are  new  people,  you  know." 

Franz  smiled  with  just  a  hint  of  mischief  in  the 
smile. 

"  She  probably  had  them  made  for  the  occasion. 
A  skilful  workman  can  imitate  designs  a  thousand 
years  old  just  as  well  as  those  that  were  made  yes 
terday." 

But  Lois  was  wiser  in  such  matters  than  her  com 
panion. 

"  No,"  she  urged,  with  her  eyes  still  fixed  upon 
the  charmed  ornaments,  that  they  were  now  near 
enough  to  observe  closely,  "  that  is  no  modern 
jeweler's  work.  Look  at  those  earrings,  —  I  've 
seen  some  of  that  work  in  the  museums  abroad,  and 
I  should  know  it  anywhere.  Why, — what?"  and 
she  stared  half  frightened  into  her  lover's  pale,  agi 
tated  face. 

"  What  is  it,  Franz,  are  you  ill?  " 

The  young  man  controlled  himself  by  a  mighty 
effort.  "  Let  us  get  out  of  this  crowd,  where  we  can 
be  by  ourselves  a  few  minutes,"  he  urged  in  a  voice 
so  strained  and  harsh  that  Lois  scarcely  recognized 
it,  and  as  they  found  themselves  secure  from  obser 
vation  in  one  of  the  curtained  recesses,  she  asked 
again  with  an  anxious  tenderness  that  was  its  own 
excuse  for  the  seeming  importunity,  "Do  tell  me, 
Franz,  what  is  the  trouble?" 

Thus  adjured,  the  young  man  tried  to  smile  reas- 


"Rich  and  Rare  were  the  Gems"    345 

suringly,  but  there  was  a  hard,  cruel  look  in  his  eyes 
that  brought  the  tears  to  the  girl's  own,  and  made 
her  timidly  withdraw  the  hand  that  she  had  laid 
upon  his  arm.  Unlike  himself,  he  seemed  for  once 
oblivious  of  her  pain. 

"  Did  you  ever  know,"  he  asked  half  reluctantly, 
as  if  loath  to  turn  back  to  the  long-closed  page, 
"  of  the  jewel  casket  that  one  of  the  wretches  stole, 
who  broke  into  her  cabin  and  frightened  my  poor 
old  grandmother  to  death?" 

"  Yes,"  was  the  softly  murmured  reply.  "  I  know,— 
Comfort  tried  to  take  it  from  him  and  he  struck  her." 

"  That  casket,"  continued  her  companion,  still  in 
that  low,  deep  tone  of  concentrated  passion,  "  held 
the  family  ornaments  of  silver  that  had  been  the 
bridal  gift  of  the  Hedvigs  for  more  generations 
than  we  have  any  account  of.  They  were  of  such 
a  peculiar  pattern  that  I  should  recognize  them  any 
where  ;  and  more  than  that  there  was  a  private  mark 
upon  them  that  no  stranger  would  be  likely  to  notice, 
but  by  which  I  could  establish  their  identity  beyond 
a  question.  And,"  he  bent  his  head,  and  spoke  in  a 
fierce  whisper,  "  the  ornaments  that  that  girl  is  wear 
ing  to-night  are  the  very  same  that  were  stolen  from 
Granny's  cabin  years  ago." 

"  Impossible  !  "  cried  Lois  incredulously.  "Where 
could  Virginia  Celandine  get  Granny's  ornaments? 
They  are  like,  but  they  can't  be  the  same." 

Franz  shook  his  head  decidedly.  The  first  shock 
of  his  discovery  over,  his  clear  brain  and  steady  will 
regained  their  power,  and  enabled  him  to  pierce  at 
once  to  the  heart  of  the  seeming  mystery. 


346  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  She  either  bought  or  borrowed  them,  and  that 
very  recently,  for  I  have  reason  to  think  that  in  all 
these  years  whoever  had  the  casket  in  his  possession 
has  not  been  able  to  get  at  the  contents,  —  unless 
indeed  he  should  destroy  the  casket,  which  he  would 
be  very  unlikely  to  do." 

"  Why  do  you  think  so  ? " 

"  Because,  while  it  shuts  with  a  spring,  it  could 
only  be  opened  with  the  key  belonging  to  it,  and 
that  key  the  thief  never  had,  for  it  came  into  my  pos 
session  and  I  have  worn  it  as  a  watch  charm  until 
three  days  ago,  when,  in  calling  upon  the  wife  of 
Jotham  Hadlock,  I  lost  it." 

The  two  looked  silently  into  each  other's  eyes, 
half  dreading  to  speak  the  thought  that  was  in  the 
mind  of  each. 

"  He  is  Comfort's  brother,"  pleaded  Lois. 

Franz  nodded — he  had  no  need  of  the  reminder. 

"  And  he  has  lived  all  these  years  with  that  sin  on 
his  soul !  "  went  on  the  girl,  with  a  half-pitying  won 
der.  "  And  if  this  is  as  we  suspect,  you  can  ruin  him 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world  that  he  has  worked  so  hard 
to  win  the  respect  of  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"And  you  will?" 

The  young  man's  thoughts  flew  back  over  the 
wide  waste  of  years,  and  he  seemed  to  hear  again 
the  tender  tones  of  the  woman  who  had  loved  him 
better  than  all  the  world  beside,  —  the  woman  who, 
old  and  weak  and  defenceless,  had  been  hurried  to 
her  death  by  a  mob  of  drunken  boors,  insulted, 
threatened  and  robbed  by  their  brute  hands,  with 


"Rich  and  Rare  were  the  Gems"    347 

only  a  child  —  a  tender,  loving,  brave  child,  —  to 
stand  between  her  and  insult. 

The  devotion  of  the  sister  half  cancelled  the  debt 
of  the  brutal,  unnatural  brother,  and  there  was  an 
unwonted  moisture  in  Franz's  eyes  as  he  said 
thoughtfully : 

"  Let  him  do  her  justice,  and  I  shall  make  no 
effort  to  bring  upon  him  the  punishment  that  he  so 
richly  deserves,  —  the  price  of  my  silence  will  be 
her  right  to  do  what  she  will  with  her  own." 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

"  PITFALLS   IN  THE  PATH  THEY  DAILY  TREAD  " 

"  "\7"ES,  indeed,  I  Ve  known  Virginia  for  years,  ever 
•*•  since  we  were  at  school  together,  and  when 
the  dancing  begins  I  '11  introduce  you,  and  you  can 
engage  her  for  a  waltz.  Then  you  can  get  a  good 
look  at  the  ear  jewels,  and  make  sure  that  they  are 
the  ones  you  think." 

Lois,  in  the  excitement  of  unravelling  an  interesting 
mystery,  had  forgotten  everything  but  the  absorbing 
question  of  the  identity  of  the  ornaments  worn  by  Miss 
Celandine,  and  there  was  so  much  enjoyment  in 
following  up  the  clew  thus  unexpectedly  given,  that 
she  entirely  overlooked  for  the  time  all  possible  con 
sequences  to  the  parties  concerned.  It  was  no  diffi 
cult  matter  for  Franz  to  secure  the  fair  Freya  for  a 
waltz,  and  as  they  floated  down  the  long  room  to  the 
bewitching  strains  of  the  orchestra,  the  goddess  grad 
ually  relaxed  her  dignity,  and  condescended  to  chat 
familiarly  with  "  Lois  Gregory's  foreign  lover,"  receiv 
ing  his  compliments  upon  the  beauty  and  originality 
of  her  costume  with  a  girlish  smirk  and  simper  that 
one  would  scarcely  have  expected  from  the  stately 
Norse  goddess. 

"Yes,  I  flatter  myself  that  Ted  and  I  made  quite  a 
sensation.  But  I  had  no  end  of  trouble  in  training  those 


"Pitfalls  in  the  Path  they  Daily  Tread"    349 

cats,  and  as  it  was,  I  expected  every  minute  that  the 
treacherous  creatures  would  give  me  the  slip,  and  spoil 
it  all.  And  then  the  girl  who  was  to  paint  the  mantle 
only  brought  it  home  an  hour  before  it  was  time  to 
dress.  I  thought  I  should  have  gone  distracted,  I  was 
that  anxious,  and  Madame  and  my  maid  were  at  their 
wits'  end  to  keep  me  from  crying,  and  spoiling  my 
eyes  for  the  evening." 

"What  a  shame  that  would  have  been  !  " 

Surely  the  young  man's  good  genius  must  have 
taught  him  the  art  of  blending  indignation  with  the 
proper  amount  of  sympathy,  for  the  susceptible 
Virginia  was  perfectly  charmed  with  his  air  and 
manner,  and  as  a  natural  consequence  grew  more  and 
more  communicative. 

"  It  really  seemed  providential,"  she  went  on  in  a 
flattering  undertone,  while  her  pine-crowned  head 
almost  touched  his  shoulder,  "  about  the  bracelets 
and  earrings."  Franz's  heart  gave  a  sudden  bound, 
and  he  made  an  awkward  misstep  that  his  partner 
graciously  pretended  not  to  notice.  "  You  see,"  she 
went  on,  secretly  pleased  at  his  evident  confusion, 
which  she  naturally  attributed  to  the  effect  of  her  own 
charms,  "  there  was  no  time  after  the  selection  of  the 
character  for  me  to  get  ornaments  made  that  would 
be  fitting  for  it,  and  Madame  and  I  tried  everywhere 
to  find  some.  But  everything  in  that  line  was  so 
frightfully  modern,  that  we  were  almost  in  despair, 
when,  all  unexpectedly  we  came  across  these, — you 
never  could  guess  where." 

"At  Bee's?"  suggested  the  young  man  with  a 
flattering  show  of  interest. 


350  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

The  goddess  shook  her  pine-wreathed  tresses  with 
an  air  of  playful  mystery : 

"  Now,  you  naughty  man,  — you  know  better  than 
that.  Why,  these  ornaments  are  hundreds  of  years  old." 

"  Is  it  possible?  "  taking  the  opportunity  thus  given 
for  a  long  and  satisfying  look  at  the  relics  in  question. 
"  But  if  the  question  is  not  impertinent,  who  could 
have  had  such  wonderful  antiques  in  his  or  her 
possession?" 

"  That 's  the  funny  part  of  it,"  laughed  his  unsuspi 
cious  partner,  with  a  quick  glance  around  to  make 
sure  that  they  were  not  overheard,  "  They  belong  to 
Mrs.  Hadlock,  the  landlady  of  the House." 

"Why,  where  could  she  have  gotten  them?" 

Freya  looked  mysterious. 

"  We  can  only  guess." 

She  spoke  with  the  grave  deliberateness  of  an  oracle, 
and  Franz  was  forced  to  curb  his  impatience  until  it 
should  please  her  to  resume  the  story,  which  it  was 
evident  she  longed  yet  rather  hesitated  to  tell. 

"  I  don't  suppose,"  she  said  at  length,  "  that  it 's 
just  fair  for  me  to  tell,  so  long  as  she  was  kind  enough 
to  lend  them  to  me,  but  of  course  you  won't  say 
anything  about  it.  Well,  she  pretended  to  Madame 
that  they  were  heirlooms  in  her  husband's  family,  (a 
likely  story  !)  and  the  oaken  casket  that  she  took  them 
from  was  black  with  age,  while  the  silver  bands  and 
even  the  jewels  themselves  were  so  tarnished  that  it 
was  plain  to  be  seen  that  they  had  n't  been  disturbed 
for  years." 

"Did  her  husband  know  she  lent  them?" 

"  Not  he,"  and  the  speaker  laughed  mischievously. 


"  Pitfalls  in  the  Path  they  Daily  Tread  "   3  5 1 

"  And  she  took  precious  good  care  that  he  should  n't 
find  it  out,  by  re-locking  the  empty  casket  and  putting 
it  back  into  the  drawer  she  took  it  from." 

"  But  they  belong  to  him?  " 

"  Certainly,  his  wife  acknowledged  that  much.  And 
Madame  and  I  think  we  know  how  he  came  by  them." 

Franz  looked  the  question  that  he  could  not  trust 
his  voice  to  ask. 

"  We  think  that  he  got  them  from  some  represen 
tative  of  an  old  but  impoverished  family  who  was 
unable  to  pay  his  board,  and  so  left  these  heirlooms 
as  security.  That  would  account  for  his  keeping  them 
hidden  out  of  sight  so  jealously,  and  for  his  wife  not 
daring  to  let  him  know  that  she  had  lent  them." 

"  How  wise  you  are.  You  should  have  been  a 
Pallas  instead  of  a  Freya,"  laughed  the  young  man 
merrily. 

This  girl's  incautious  revelations  had  made  every 
thing  clear,  and  in  the  exultation  of  the  moment  his 
spirits  rose  so  lightly  that  he  could  scarce  refrain  from 
giving  speech  to  the  triumph  that  thrilled  every  nerve 
of  his  body.  Crafty,  secretive  as  he  had  ever  been, 
the  thief  and  housebreaker  was  caught  at  last,  and  on 
only  one  condition  could  he  escape  the  inevitable 
consequences  of  his  crime. 

The  constancy  and  unselfish  devotion  of  Comfort 
Hadlock  should  now  be  rewarded,  and  the  proud, 
hard  man  who  had  scorned  and  hated  his  unoffend 
ing  sister,  would  find  himself  indebted  to  that  same 
sister  for  his  exemption  from  a  felon's  punishment. 
Until  now,  Franz  had  never  thought  that  more  than 
one  of  the  Hadlock's  could  have  been  concerned  in 


352  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

that  dastardly  deed  whose  memory  even  now  made 
his  blood  boil  with  fierce  resentment.  Dave's  flight 
had  stamped  him  as  guilty,  and  nobody  had  for  an 
instant  suspected  that  the  elder  brother  might  be  as 
deeply  implicated  as  the  more  timid  fugitive. 

The  Squire  had  died  in  the  comfortable  belief  that 
in  his  only  remaining  son  he  had  left  an  honorable 
representative  of  his  race  and  name,  while  the  un 
questioned  business  ability  and  character  for  fairness 
that  Jotham  had  won  from  his  fellow-townsmen 
seemed  a  natural  fulfilment  of  the  promise  of  his 
young  manhood.  Could  it  be  that  his  wife  knew  the 
secret  of  that  stolen  casket,  from  which  she  had  fool 
ishly  unearthed  the  proofs  of  her  husband's  guilt? 
The  question  recurred  to  him  again  and  again,  as 
every  now  and  then  throughout  the  evening  he 
caught  the  eye  of  a  certain  substantial  sea-nymph 
watching  him  with  a  look  of  anxious  scrutiny,  that 
had  in  it  something  of  actual  terror.  And  as,  towards 
the  close  of  the  revels,  he  lingered  for  a  moment  in 
the  almost  deserted  hall  to  exchange  a  few  private 
words  with  Lois,  he  put  the  question  to  her: 

"  Does  his  wife  know  where  he  got  the  jewels?  " 

Lois  nodded  knowingly. 

"  How  can  she  help  it?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  and  the  young  man's  voice  had  a 
half-doubtful  tone  as  if  he  would  gladly  exonerate,  in 
part  at  least,  his  old  play-fellow.  "  She  may  not  know 
all  the  circumstances,  or  that  the  discovery  of  them 
makes  him  liable  to  a  trial  for  manslaughter,  —  you 
know  that  was  what  the  jury  at  the  inquest  decided 
the  maurauders  guilty  of." 


"Pitfalls  in  the  Path  they  Daily  Tread"    353 

A  portiere  near  which  they  were  standing  was 
pushed  hastily  aside,  and  Tabby  Hadlock's  face 
looked  out  at  them,  so  pale  and  agitated  that  no 
words  were  needed  to  prove  that  she  had  been  play 
ing  the  part  of  eavesdropper. 

"  Come  in  here,"  she  whispered  with  a  frightened 
clutch  atLois's  hand,  "  come  right  in  here,  and  let  me 
have  a  talk  with  you." 

There  was  no  resisting  the  importunity  of  those 
imploring  eyes  and  tones,  and  the  two  silently  fol 
lowed  her  into  the  small  withdrawing  room,  now  con 
veniently  vacant,  where,  dropping  into  the  nearest 
chair,  she  asked  without  any  circumlocution : 

"  How  did  she  come  to  tell  you  where  she  got 
them?  and  will  Jotham  have  to  go  to  State's  prison  if 
he  is  tried  and  proved  guilty  of  being  one  of  them 
that  broke  into  Granny  Hedvig's  house  that  time?" 

Franz  nodded ;  he  would  not  add  to  her  pain  by 
any  wordy  explanation. 

She  saw  the  pity  in  his  face,  and  womanlike,  hast 
ened  to  take  the  blame  upon  her  own  shoulders. 

"They  never 've  been  any  good  to  'im,  for  he 
never  's  seen  the  inside  of  the  box  even.  I  was  the 
one  that  opened  it,  with  a  key  that  you  dropped  in 
my  room  the  other  day;  and  he  did  n't  know  a  thing 
about  my  lendin'  them  to  Miss  Celandine.  But," 
with  a  sudden  hopefulness,  "  they  ain't  hurt  a  bit,  and 
I  '11  send  'em  back  to  you  to-morrow  morning  safe 
and  sound.  Won't  that  make  it  all  square  between 
you  and  him?  " 

"  No."  And  Franz's  voice  was  so  firm  and  unre 
lenting  that  the  frightened  woman  felt  despairingly 

23 


354  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

that  her  proffered  restitution  of  the  stolen  property 
would  not  alone  cancel  the  debt  for  which  outraged 
filial  affection  now  demanded  a  stern  repayment. 
"  His  possession  of  the  stolen  property  proves  him 
guilty  also  of  the  deeper  crime,  and  for  that  crime  I 
will  have  him  arrested  unless  he  will  agree  to  give  his 
sister  a  written  permit,  allowing  her  to  sell  the  land 
that  her  father  willed  to  her,  to  whom  she  pleases." 

Tabby  caught  her  breath  with  a  mingled  cry  of  sur 
prise  and  despair. 

"  Oh,  he  never,  never  will  do  that !  "  she  urged.  "  I 
believe  he  'd  die  before  he  'd  come  down  to  that." 

"  There  are  some  things  dearer  than  life,"  and  the 
young  man  spoke  with  a  calm  deliberateness  that  was 
like  the  voice  of  doom  to  the  half-distracted  Tabby. 
"A  man's  good  name  among  men,  for  instance. 
And  if  he  is  called  upon  publicly  to  answer  for  his 
crime,  although  he  may  by  some  legal  technicality 
escape  the  full  punishment,  his  reputation  will  receive 
a  blow  from  which  it  will  never  recover.  He  will  un 
derstand  all  this,  and  do  you  suppose  that  he  will  let 
his  hatred  of  his  sister  or  even  his  lust  for  gain  keep 
him  from  buying  his  safety  at  the  price  offered?" 

Tabby's  only  reply  was  a  groan,  and  producing  his 
tablets,  Franz  pencilled  a  few  lines  upon  one  of  the 
blank  leaves,  which  he  handed  her  with: 

"  There  is  the  permission  for  him  to  sign,  and  if 
by  to-morrow  I  receive  the  casket  and  this  note 
signed  with  your  husband's  name,  I  solemnly  promise 
never  to  try  to  bring  him  to  punishment  for  the  crime 
of  his  youth.  If  not,  you  know  the  consequences." 

Then  drawing  Lois's  arm  through  his  own,  he  bade 


"  Pitfalls  in  the  Path  they  Daily  Tread  "   355 

the  weeping  Tabby  a  courteous  good-night,  and  left 
the  room  with  the  assurance  strong  within  him  that 
to-morrow's  sun  would  bring  rest  and  happiness  to 
the  twain,  whose  unselfish  friendship  for  himself  had, 
from  first  to  last,  been  the  inspiring  and  helpful  in 
fluence  that  had  directed  his  life  from  youth  to  man 
hood,  even  up  to  the  sunshiny  love-blessed  present. 
Nor  would  he  mar  the  gentle  girl's  happiness  by 
opening  her  eyes  to  the  fact,  hitherto  unsuspected, 
of  Jotham's  complicity  in  the  house-breaking  affair. 
It  was  better  that  the  discovery  of  the  stolen  jewels 
should  remain  a  secret,  and  that  she  should  be  al 
lowed  to  believe  that  her  brother's  tardy  compliance 
with  her  wishes  was  due  to  the  all-powerful  influence 
of  his  old  schoolfellow  and  neighbor. 

"  She  has  a  large  share  of  her  father's  pride  of 
race,"  he  explained  to  Lois,  as  they  were  on  their 
way  home  from  the  party,  "  and  the  knowledge  that 
her  brother  was  a  thief  as  well  as  burglar  would  be 
a  drop  of  bitterness  in  her  cup  as  long  as  she  lives. 
Besides  —  Robert  is  a  good  fellow,  and  would  not  let 
himself  think  any  the  less  of  her  for  it  —  but  a  man 
cannot,  even  if  he  is  honestly  in  love,  forget  all  at 
once  the  honest  prejudices  of  a  lifetime,  and  it  is  his 
boast  that  not  one  of  the  Humbre  blood  has  ever  dis 
graced  it  by  an  alliance  with  crime  in  any  shape." 

"  But  don't  you  feel,"  questioned  Lois,  with  a  mis 
chievous  little  laugh,  "  as  if  you  were  somehow  com 
pounding  felony  by  letting  this  man  go  scot  free, 
when  you  know  that  he  richly  deserves  punishment?  " 

Franz  looked  grave,  —  he  took  the  question  more 
seriously  than  she  had  intended  it. 


356  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

"  No,"  he  said,  after  a  moment's  thought.  "  If  I, 
who  am  the  only  one  wronged,  am  satisfied  with  the 
restitution  of  the  stolen  property,  I  see  no  reason  for 
any  outside  interference.  Perhaps,"  he  added  smil 
ing  and  not  unwilling  to  turn  the  tables  upon  his 
teasing  companion,  "  I  am  not  so  zealous  to  uphold 
the  majesty  of  the  law  as  I  should  be  if  I  could  fairly 
count  myself  a  citizen  of  the  Republic." 

This  was  a  sensitive  point,  and  Lois  caught  it  up 
sharply,  as  he  knew  she  would. 

"What  nonsense!"  she  cried,  "just  as  if  living  a 
few  years  in  Germany  was  going  to  make  a  German 
of  you,  —  and  I  've  declared  all  my  life  that  I  never 
would  marry  a  foreigner.  Really  you  ought  to  be 
ashamed  of  yourself  to  talk  like  that." 

Of  course  the  young  man  was  properly  penitent, 
but  as  he  lifted  her  from  the  coach,  with  a  good 
night  kiss  upon  a  smiling  but  very  sleepy  face,  she 
remarked,  with  a  sudden  recollection  of  the  subject 
under  discussion  some  time  before  : 

"  I  know  you  're  right  about  keeping  our  discovery 
secret,  but  honestly,  I  shall  feel  dreadfully  mean  to 
keep  a  secret  from  Comfort,  of  all  people  in  the 
world." 

"  For  her  own  good  and  happiness,"  reminded 
Franz. 

"  Yes,"  with  a  look  at  the  darkened  window  of  her 
friend's  room.  "  But  I  'm  awfully  glad  that  she  is  n't 
sitting  up  for  me.  I  want  time  to  get  used  to  the 
situation,  or  I  shall  be  sure  to  give  it  all  away  with 
out  in  the  least  meaning  to." 


CHAPTER   XXXVII 


T  TNDER  the  circumstances,  Franz,  in  spite  of  a 
**•'  hundred  formless  misgivings  that,  however 
foolish,  had  served  to  drive  sleep  from  his  eyes, 
through  the  silent  hours  of  the  night,  was  not  at  all 
surprised  at  receiving  early  in  the  day  by  the  hand 
of  a  special  messenger,  the  casket  of  jewels  and  the 
written  permit  signed  in  Jotham  Hadlock's  crabbed, 
unmistakable  hand.  The  young  man  examined  the 
signature  with  curious  interest.  What  years  of  secret 
fear  and  shame,  perhaps  of  remorse,  those  reluctantly 
penned  characters  represented !  Hate,  as  unnatural 
as  it  was  undeserved,  had  joined  hands  with  avarice 
to  wrong  out  of  her  rightful  inheritance  the  gentle 
girl,  whose  unobtrusive  yet  self-respectful  life  had 
ever  been  a  silent  reproach  to  him,  and  for  which  he 
hated  her  with  all  the  strength  of  a  mean,  self-centered 
nature.  Now  this  unlooked-for  humiliation  had  fallen 
upon  him  like  a  lightning  flash  from  a  summer  sky, 
—  the  threat  of  a  discovery  that  would  in  an  hour 
shatter  at  one  blow  the  fair  hopes  and  promises  of 
a  lifetime. 

Drawn  by  a  natural  impulse,  Franz  had,  upon  re 
ceiving  the  promised  package,  hastened  away  from 
the  gay  distractions  of  the  crowded  hotel,  betaking 


358  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

himself  to  the  more  congenial  quiet  and  solitude  of 
the  deserted  cabin,  where,  seated  upon  the  old  moss- 
covered  doorstone,  he  now  proceeded  to  examine  at 
his  leisure  the  revered  treasure,  and  recall  with  dim 
eyes  but  a  smile  of  natural  satisfaction  the  memories 
of  those  other  days  and  the  fateful  promises  that  were 
being   so   strangely  and    unexpectedly   fulfilled.     A 
hundred    long-forgotten    scenes   of  his  boyhood,  its 
hopes,   its    plans,   its    troubles   and    pleasures,  —  the 
many  mickles  that  make  up  the  muckle  of  a  boy's 
life,  —  danced  before  his  mind's  eye,  as  much  a  real 
ity  for  the  moment  as  the  yellow  and  white  butterflies 
that  fluttered  their  wings  in  the  sunshine  before  his 
natural  vision,  and  as  a  favorite  type  of  the  soul's  re 
surrection,  led  his  mind  by  a  whimsical  combination 
of  ideas,  back  to  one  of  the  games  dear  to  his  boyish 
fancy,  and  called  in  default  of  a  better  name,  the 
"  planting  game."      While  toying  absently  with  the 
restored  ornaments,  he    found   himself  half  uncon 
sciously  adapting  the  game  to  the  present  subject  of 
his  thoughts,  in  which  his  own  fortunes  and  those  of 
his  old  neighbors  were  so  strangely  intermingled. 
"  Plant  a  sin,  and  what  will  come  up?  " 
Was  it  his  own  voice,  or  the  echo  of  the  surf  beat 
ing  ceaselessly  upon  the  rocky  shore  —  never  silent, 
never  weary,  beating  on  and  on,  through  countless 
seons,  —  as  unmindful  of  the  hum  and  stir  of  human 
life  upon  that  shore  as  was  the  little  brook  flowing  at 
his  feet,  of  the  humming  bees  that  flitted  to  and  fro, 
dry  winged    above   its   dancing   waters?     Who   can 
tell?     Nevertheless,  clear  and  distinct  upon  the  still 
morning  air  it  came,  stirring  even  the  dusky  depths 


"  'T  is  We  Two  for  Aye  "          359 

of  the  old  cabin  to  something  like  life  with  the  stern, 
relentless  reply: 

"  Retribution." 

And  it  was  a  righteous  retribution  that  had  over 
taken  at  last  that  proud,  hard  man,  this  relentless 
unearthing  of  his  secret  sin  and  shame,  and  Franz 
could  almost  find  it  in  his  heart  to  pity  him  in  his 
silent  humiliation  and  unavailing  rage.  To  know 
that  it  was  in  another's  power  to  brand  him  as  a 
thief  in  the  worst  and  most  shameful  sense  of  the 
word,  must,  to  a  man  of  his  proud,  suspicious  nature, 
be  like  the  fabled  sword  of  Damocles,  ever  suspended 
over  his  head,  ready  at  any  moment  to  fall,  bringing 
ruin  and  destruction  in  its  train.  A  more  careless- 
tempered  man  might,  with  comparative  ease,  give 
the  whole  matter  the  go  by,  so  long  as  the  world  out 
side  remained  in  ignorance  of  his  guilt,  but  Jotham 
Hadlock  was  cast  in  a  different  mould.  Intense, 
sullen,  hard,  and  determined,  he  had  inherited  a 
depth  and  breadth  of  character  that  would  not  allow 
him  to  regard  the  discovery  of  his  crime  as  a  small 
matter  so  long  as  even  one  fellow-being  held  in  his 
bosom  the  shameful  secret.  The  stern,  narrow  con 
scientiousness  of  a  long  line  of  God-fearing  ancestors 
had  become  in  him  an  equally  stern  and  far  more 
narrow  form  of  intense  self-worship.  And  the  Dagon 
of  Self  thrown  from  his  high  place,  even  though 
secrecy  and  deep  darkness  might  cover  his  terrible 
humiliation,  could  never  again  feel  the  proud  security 
of  an  unquestioned  and  flawless  deity.  He  was  proud 
too  of  the  old  name,  proud  of  its  unsullied  honesty 
and  thrift,  and  just  so  long  as  that  secret  sin  of  his 


360  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

youth  remained  close  locked  in  his  own  breast  it  had 
troubled  him  little.  To  him,  as  to  many  another,  the 
unresurrected  sin  had  been  but  mouldering  clay,  that, 
when  thrown  into  the  balance  with  a  long  record  of 
honest,  decent  outward  living,  weighed  no  more  than 
any  other  handful  of  dead  dust.  Discovery  alone 
could  reanimate  it,  and  make  of  it  a  lash  to  drive  the 
guilty  soul  to  desperation. 

Franz  was  not  at  fault  when  he  decided  that  the 
punishment  already  meted  out  to  the  guilty  man  was 
a  sufficiently  heavy  one,  while  the  drop  that  would 
make  his  cup  of  humiliation  and  secret  rage  run  over 
would  be  his  sister's  prosperity  and  happiness,  brought 
about  by  his  own  act,  and  in  spite  of  him.  Now,  too,  he 
must  carry  the  pleasant  news  to  Comfort,  making 
glad  the  faithful  heart  that,  through  all  these  years 
had  been  so  true  to  their  childish  friendship,  and, — 
oh,  there  were  many  things,  now  that  she  was  at 
liberty  to  dispose  of  that  much  coveted  strip  of  land 
alongshore,  in  which  he  could  advise  and  aid  her. 
His  own  small  patrimony  had  been  fairly  disposed  of, 
and  he  inly  decided  that  while  free  from  the  clutch  of 
her  grasping  brother  the  inexperienced  girl  should 
not  be  cheated  by  some  shrewd  speculator  into  sell 
ing  her  birthright  for  a  penny  less  than  its  full  value. 

It  was  one  of  those  perfect  summer  evenings  pecu 
liar  to  the  breeze-swept  shores  of  the  Desert  Island, 
and  Mrs.  Humbre  sat  in  her  own  room  listening  with 
wonder-wide  eyes  to  the  story  that  Miss  Delphine  was 
telling  with  a  relish  that  proved  how  warm  was  her 
heart  toward  their  young  hostess. 


"'Tis  We  Two  for  Aye"  361 

"  And  you  say  that  the  land  has  been  disposed  of 
for  fifty  thousand  dollars?" 

The  words  were  spoken  with  respectful  emphasis, 
although  the  speaker  made  a  wry  face  as  if  somehow 
they  were  not  quite  palatable  to  her. 

"  About  two-thirds  of  the  land,"  returned  Miss 
Delphine,  with  her  usual  exactness.  "  They  are  the 
most  desirable  lots,  but  the  others  may  in  time  be 
come  equally  valuable." 

Mrs.  Humbre  picked  at  the  lace  frills  of  her  dress 
ing  gown  and  sighed  resignedly. 

"  She  is  really  a  very  sweet  girl,  and  it  is  well  for 
her  that  she  won't  be  left  to  fall  a  prey  to  some  de 
signing  fortune  hunter.  I  am  glad  that  everything 
was  arranged  between  her  and  Robert  before  this 
happened,  so  that  nobody  can  say  that  he  married 
her  for  her  money." 

Miss  Delphine  checked  the  laugh  that  rose  to  her 
lips.  It  was  well  that  her  mother  should  take  her 
own  way  of  meeting  a  condition  of  things  too  strong 
for  her  control,  in  fact,  she  had  always  been  one  to 
submit  gracefully  to  the  inevitable,  and  it  would  be 
much  pleasanter  all  round  that  she  should  do  so  now. 
A  bride  of  her  own  fashionable  set  would  of  course 
have  pleased  her  much  better  than  this  simply  reared 
country  girl,  but  even  Miss  Delphine  was  surprised 
at  the  genuine  warmth  with  which  her  mother  offered 
her  congratulations  to  Comfort  upon  her  accession 
to  wealth  and  consequent  importance. 

"  You  are  not  one  to  be  spoiled  by  riches,"  she 
said  frankly,  as  she  drew  the  girl  to  her  side  and 
kissed  her  blushing  cheek  with  something  like 


362  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

motherly  tenderness.  "  And  I  am  sure  that  you 
will  be  as  gentle  and  tender  a  wife  to  Robert  as  if 
you  had  come  to  him,  as  the  Scotch  say,  without  a 
penny  in  your  pack." 

And  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes,  real,  genuine 
tears,  —  drops  from  that  fountain  of  maternal  love 
that  years  of  narrow,  unresisted  selfishness  had  not 
been  able  to  choke  entirely  even  in  that  world-hard 
ened  heart. 

There  was  a  double  wedding  a  few  weeks  later  in 
the  old  farmhouse,  and  now  Mrs.  Humbre  actually 
forgot  her  languor  in  superintending  the  bridal  ar 
rangements  that,  in  deference  to  her  wishes,  were 
more  elaborate  than  the  young  people  themselves 
really  cared  for,  or  that  Lois  had  at  the  first  planned 
for  herself. 

"  What  is  the  use  of  a  wedding  without  wedding 
finery?"  she  urged  in  reply  to  the  objections  of  the 
prospective  brides  to  receiving  at  her  hands  the  veils 
of  costly  lace  that  she  had  taken  care  to  order  for 
them.  "  Besides,  do  you  think  I  am  going  to  let  that 
envious  Kate  Sevier  boast  that  my  adopted  daughter 
and  my  son's  fiancee  can't  wear  as  costly  veils  as  that 
upstart  niece  of  hers  who  was  married  last  winter  ?  " 

It  seemed  really  cruel  to  cross  her  at  this  time,  and 
so  she  had  her  way,  and  the  brides  wore  the  conven 
tional  satin  and  lace  and  orange  blossoms,  Lois  alone 
protesting  against  the  pearls  that,  at  the  last  moment, 
her  foster  mother  pressed  upon  her  as  part  of  the 
bridal  array. 

"No,"  she  said  with  gentle  firmness,  "I  will  wear 
only  the  family  jewels  of  the  Hedvigs,  —  the  silver 


"  'T  is  We  Two  for  Aye  "          363 

ear  jewels  and  bracelets  that  have  been  the  bridal 
ornaments  of  Franz's  family  for  centuries." 

And  Mrs.  Humbre,  who  had  an  immense  reverence 
for  the  "  long  descended,"  could  make  no  further 
objections. 

Never  before,  as  on  that  bright  September  morn 
ing,  had  the  friendly  sunshine  looked  in  upon  the  old- 
fashioned  farmhouse  decked  out  in  such  gay  attire. 
It  was  a  transformation  that  nobody  would  have 
deemed  possible  who  had  looked  upon  the  sober, 
unadorned  rooms  in  their  everyday  homespun.  Mrs. 
Humbre  had  suggested  that  a  florist  be  employed  to 
decorate  the  rooms  with  the  conventional  palms  and 
hothouse  flowers,  but  Comfort's  loyal  heart  recoiled 
from  this  as  a  kind  of  desecration  of  the  dear  old 
home,  and  in  this  she  had  her  way.  With  their  own 
tasteful  hands  the  young  people  had  decked  the 
modest  rooms  with  trailing  evergreen  and  long 
streamers  of  bronze  and  crimson  woodbine  from 
Granny's  cottage,  ferns  and  pine  tops  filling  every 
odd  nook  and  corner,  while  wild  asters  and  golden- 
rod  made  a  shimmer  of  purple  and  gold  everywhere. 
The  pale  beach-pea  in  her  rose-colored  hood  looked 
shyly  down  from  the  tall,  moss-draped  wooden  man 
tels,  and  jostled  with  neighborly  freedom  the  pink 
and  white  trumpets  of  the  convolvulus  that,  fresh 
from  their  morning  bath  of  dew,  shook  out  from  their 
faintly  perfumed  depths  a  hundred  fragrant  if  word 
less  "  God-speeds"  upon  the  waiting  air. 

As  Comfort  passed  with  pale  cheeks  but  with  a 
glad  smile  in  her  brown  eyes,  through  the  old  familiar 
rooms,  grown  so  dear  to  her  faithful  heart  by  all  the 


364  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

tender  associations  of  years,  the  present  seemed  to 
fade  as  in  a  dream,  and  as  she  laid  her  cheek  lovingly 
against  the  faded  chintz  covering  of  that  ever  sacred 
old  arm-chair  where  her  loved  had  sat  with  the  tired 
hands  folded,  waiting  for  the  long,  long  rest  that  He 
giveth  His  beloved,  she  seemed  to  feel  once  more 
the  touch  of  those  dear  hands  upon  her  bent  head, 
and  to  hear  again  in  those  never-to-be-forgotten  tones 
the  words  of  that  oft-spoken  prayer: 

"  God  bless  and  keep  my  Comfort." 

The  voices  of  Mrs.  Humbre  and  Lois,  discussing 
and  admiring  the  bridal  gifts  in  an  adjoining  room, 
the  faint  echo  of  Mandy's  tones  softly  singing  as  she 
went  about  her  work  behind  the  closed  kitchen  door, 
the  shrill  piping  of  the  canary  in  his  gilded  cage,  and 
the  rustle  of  leaves  in  the  old  elm  outside,  all  blended 
in  one  indistinct  murmur;  and  awed  as  by  the  trailing 
of  an  invisible  robe  through  the  silent  room,  the  girl's 
whole  soul  rose  up  within  her  in  this  hour  of  sacred 
joy,  while  as  spoken  by  unseen  lips  came  the  glad 
refrain: 

"  And  she  shall  be  blessed." 

That  the  wedding  guests  were  rather  an  oddly 
assorted  company  could  not  be  denied,  but  that  only 
added,  as  Mrs.  Humbre  complacently  remarked,  to 
the  uniqueness  and  simple  grace  of  the  occasion.  A 
bevy  of  Lois's  girl  friends,  foremost  of  whom  were 
Virginia  Celandine  and  her  brother,  formed  a  pleasant 
contrast  to  the  few  sharp-faced,  cold-eyed  matrons 
who,  as  Mrs.  Humbre's  special  guests  adorned  (?) 
the  scene.  Scholarly  if  sometimes  cynical  men,  and 
dreamy-looking  artists,  with  here  and  there  an  erect 


"  'T  is  We  Two  for  Aye  "          365 

figure  in  the  old  army  blue  that  Robert  would  always 
look  upon  as  the  badge  of  a  friend  and  brother,  were 
scattered  everywhere  throughout  the  pleasant  rooms, 
while  Tabby,  in  her  finest  Parisian  gown,  flitted  to 
and  fro,  self-elected  mistress  of  ceremonies,  confiding 
to  everybody  who  would  listen  to  her  that, 

"  Mr.  Hadlock  was  so  sorry  that  he  could  n't  be  at 
home  to  see  his  sister  and  dear  General  Humbre  mar 
ried,  —  it  just  broke  his  heart  to  be  away  at  such  a 
time." 

The  Widow  Scripture,  stiff  and  starched,  but  show 
ing  her  satisfaction  in  every  line  of  her  shrewd  face, 
formed  the  important  center  of  a  group  of  old  neigh 
bors  and  their  wives,  while  Mandy,  her  eyes  brim 
ming  with  happy  tears,  kept  close  to  the  side  of 
Cap'n  Jake,  slyly  nudging  him  when  any  especially 
fine  costume  crossed  their  vision,  and  flushing 
proudly  at  the  thought  that  all  these  fine  folk  were 
gathered  here  to  do  honor  to  one  who  had  been  the 
best  friend  of  her  own  unfriended  girlhood. 

No  stranger  bishop,  but  the  old  white-haired  pas 
tor,  who  had  watched  with  eyes  of  fatherly  solicitude 
the  girl  from  infancy  to  maidenhood,  pronounced  the 
beautiful  benediction  of  the  church  over  the  wedded 
pair,  while  good  Doctor  Peabody,  at  his  own  request, 
gave  away  the  bride  with  an  air  of  such  triumphant 
assurance  that  a  stranger  would  certainly  have  been 
deceived  into  the  belief  that  the  daughterless  little 
man  had  been  an  adept  in  the  business  for  a  score  of 
years  at  least. 

Considering  that  all  her  life  Comfort  had  been 
inured  to  the  cold  of  our  long  Maine  winters,  the 


366  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

reason  given  by  her  newly  wedded  lord  for  spending 
their  honeymoon  abroad,  somewhat  against  his 
mother's  wishes,  might  have  been  considered  a  rather 
flimsy  one  if  anybody  had  been  disposed  to  cavil 
at  it. 

"  These  winters  on  the  Maine  coast  are  so  trying 
to  the  constitution,  and  I  think  Comfort  really  needs 
the  change  that  the  climate  of  Southern  Europe  will 
give  her." 

Then  after  Franz  and  his  bonny  bride  were  fairly 
established  in  their  German  home  it  would  be  so  de 
lightful  to  drop  in  upon  them  at  some  unexpected 
moment,  —  almost  like  a  sniff  of  Mount  Desert  air. 
Then  Rome,  Florence,  and  Vienna  must  be  visited, 
and  Comfort  would  so  enjoy  a  sail  up  the  Rhine. 
They  must  take  in  England  and  Scotland,  of  course, 
—  must  visit  the  Highlands,  and  try  a  ride  in  a 
jaunting-car, — and  so  on  and  on  until  Miss  Del- 
phine  brought  him  to  his  senses  with  the  pertinent 
inquiry,  — 

"  How  many  years  do  you  intend  to  remain  abroad, 
Robert?" 

"  Poor,  dear  Mrs.  Humbre  behaved  beautifully," 
so  all  her  friends  declared,  and  Comfort  in  her  heart 
gratefully  acknowledged  the  effort  that  Robert's 
mother  certainly  made  to  put  aside  her  natural  ma 
ternal  jealousies,  and  welcome  with  kindly  smiles  and 
good  wishes  the  bride  of  his  choice. 

Miss  Delphine  gave  her  blessing  with  an  odd 
mixture  of  humor  and  pathos. 

"  I  hope  you  will  be  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long; 
but  if  either  of  you  should  find  yourselves  disap- 


"  'Tis  We  Two  for  Aye  "          367 

pointed  in  the  life  matrimonial,  my  advice  is  to  turn 
your  attention  to  the  study  of  natural  history.  I  Ve 
tried  it,  and  I  know  that  it 's  the  very  best  panacea 
for  an  aching  and  hungry  heart  that  can  be  found." 

And  Mandy?  Why,  really,  after  the  fashion  of 
the  world  generally,  I  had  forgotten  all  about  the 
little  fisher  maid  in  my  interest  in  her  betters.  But 
Cap'n  Jake  had  not  been  so  forgetful,  and  when 
Comfort,  with  mingled  tears  of  joy  and  sadness, 
turned  from  her  island  home  to  go  out  into  new  and 
untried  paths,  one  of  her  many  sources  of  satisfac 
tion  was  the  knowledge  that  that  home,  with  all  its 
tender  associations,  would  not  be  left  to  the  care  of 
unsympathetic  strangers,  but  be  cared  for  as  faith 
fully  under  Mandy's  tendance  as  it  had  been  under 
her  own.  For,  with  a  self-sacrifice  that  did  him 
credit,  the  gallant  captain  consented  to  rent  his  be 
loved  cottage,  and  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of  his 
promised  bride,  to  aid  her  in  the  task  of  keeping 
bright  and  immaculate  the  home  that  Comfort,  so 
long  as  she  lived,  would  hold  as  her  own,  to  be  loved 
and,  if  possible,  re-visited  as  often  as  each  year 
should  bring  around  the  time  for  the  year's  rest  and 
recreation. 

The  wedding  over,  the  hasty  adieux  given,  and 
now  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  to  "  clear  away  "  the 
half-withered  flowers  and  ferns,  to  brush  up  the  car 
pet,  draw  the  curtains,  and  see  that  Mrs.  Humbre  has 
her  glass  of  iced  milk  that  Miss  Delphine  is  too  busy 
with  her  packing  to  attend  to. 

It  was  very  doleful  and  lonesome,  Mandy  thought, 


368  A  Maid  of  Bar  Harbor 

and  a  few  dejected  tears  trickled  down  her  nose  as 
she  went  about  her  preparations  for  dinner,  —  the 
last  that  she  was  to  prepare  for  the  "  summer 
boarders,"  who  were  to  leave  by  the  afternoon  boat. 
And  yet,  one  could  not  be  altogether  miserable  with 
the  prospect  of  a  wedding  of  one's  own  a  week  later, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  handsome  presents  bestowed 
upon  her  by  the  parted  as  well  as  the  parting  guests. 
"  Gran'daddy  would  say,  'Don't  take  'em,  Mandy,' 
I  s'pose.  But  time  has  changed  at  Bar  Harbor  sense 
he  died,  and  if  he  was  alive  now  I  hain't  a  doubt  but 
he  'd  say,  like  all  the  rest,  '  Take  all  you  can  get,  and 
make  the  most  of  it.'  " 


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A  love  story,  told  with  delicacy  and  grace.  —  Brooklyn  Times. 

Humor  and  pathos,  love  and  adventure,  abound  throughout  the 
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Margaret  Leslie  is  a  heroine  who  deserves  a  place  in  Mr.  Howells' 
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to  love,  and  from  whom  it  is  hard  to  part.  —  Boston  'Transcript. 

The  book  is  charmingly  written,  the  style  pure  and  strong,  and  the 
play  of  native  wit  engaging.  —  Outlook,  New  York. 

A  genius  for  depicting  character  in  a  telling  way,  and  in  a  style 
that  is  charming  as  well  as  pungent,  is  one  of  Mary  Devereux's 
strongest  points.  —  Rocky  Mountain  Neivs,  Denver. 

It  is  a  positive  treat  to  read  such  a  pure,  sweet  story, — a  genuine 
story  of  natural  men  and  women  in  a  seashore  town  in  New  England. 
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A  STORY  OF    LORD   BALTIMORE'S  COLONY  IN    1638 

By  LUCY  M.  THRUSTON 

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The  book  abounds  in  stirring  incidents.  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

It  deserves  a  place  among  the  American  historical  romances  of  the 
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In  literary  quality  "Mistress  Brent"  belongs  in  the  same  class 
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The  author  has  thrown  herself  with  spirit  into  the  times  she  por 
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The  illustrations,  by  Charles  Grunwald,  are  richly  executed,  and 
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The  story  is  rich  in  color  and  vivid  in  description,  and  many  of  its 

episodes  are  taken  from  the  records  of  the   time.  —  San  Francisco 

Argonaut. 

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has  seldom  been  excelled  as  a  picture  of  early  Maryland's  history. 

—  Baltimore  News. 

No  more  able  or  remarkable  woman  figures  in  early  colonial  his 
tory.  The  author  has  splendid  material  at  hand,  and  uses  it  with 
commendable  accuracy.  —  Outlook,  New  York. 

The  story  is  full  of  adventure  :  the  machinations  of  the  Claiborne 
faction  helped  to  provide  the  material,  and  there  are  several  striking 
dramatic  situations.  —  Los  Angeles  Herald. 

Much  of  the  colonial  history  of  Maryland,  characterizations  of  many 
famous  men,  and  a  charming  love  story  are  woven  into  a  spirited 
and  picturesque  narrative.  —  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger. 

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THE   MOST   LOVABLE   HEROINE 
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TRUTH  DEXTER 

By  SIDNEY  McCALL 

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A  novel  of  united  North  and  South  of  rare  power  and  absorbing  interest. 
It  is  but  fair  to  say  that  not  one  of  the  novels  which  appeared  last  year  on 
either  side  of  the  Atlantic  (including  those  from  the  pens  of  the  most 
gifted  writers)  was  superior  to  this  in  artistic  quality,  dramatic  power,  and 
human  interest  combined.  We  do  not  hope  to  see  it  surpassed,  even  if 
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In  seriousness  of  purpose,  in  variety  of  scenery,  in  contrasts  of  character, 
and  in  the  general  quality  of  its  workmanship,  it  is  one  of  the  few  re 
markable  novels  published  in  Boston  in  recent  years. 

The  best  portrait,  the  best  figure  in  the  book,  is  Truth  Dexter,  —  always 
true  to  the  South,  always  true  to  herself,  simple  and  affectionate  as  a  child. 
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For  firmness  of  grasp,  crispness  of  dialogue,  and  neatness  of  general 
writing,  "Truth  Dexter"  might  almost  stand  as  a  model.  —  Chicago 
Evening  Post. 

A.  love  story  of  peculiar  interest  and  power  runs  through  the  story,  and  in 
the  telling  of  this  there  are  whole  chapters  that  grip  the  heart  firmly  and 
introduce  to  the  reader  intellectual  delights  quite  foreign  in  the  average 
novel  of  the  period.  ...  It  certainly  bids  fair  to  prove  the  most  satis 
factory  novel  of  the  year. — Philadelphia  North  American. 

The  author's  portrayal  of  Truth  is  delicious. — Minneapolis  Journal. 

A  story  that  compels  attention  from  start  to  finish, — a  story  bright  with 
contrast,  lit  up  with  animated  descriptions  of  nature,  suggestive  and 
frequently  dramatic. —  Chicago  Record-Herald. 

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